Veela genes
by Gothical-Fairy
Summary: Hiatus Draco is, surprisingly enough a Veela. In an odd twist of events, Harry is his mate. With Voldermort, angry Weasley's and a swarm of fangirls, it's going to be an interesting year slash HPDM
1. A little Veela magic

Author's note; yay me! I'm back again with yet another story – and yes, I am hoping to _finish _this one. Out of three stories, I've only ever completed 2, but the third (House Maid) I am going to start working on again.

Also, the plot line with Draco being a veela is a widely used one, therefore I'm not taking credit for it any way and hope not to get any angry flames from a peeved author about it, I am not stealing a plot line in any way. I am however adding in my own unique twists, and hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer; if I owned Harry Potter, trust me I would _not _be here writing this.

This story does not follow the plot of book six.

Harry scanned around the platform, letting his eyes linger momentarily over people he vaguely recognized. He sighed with the realization that this was the last time he would be boarding the school train before a new school year, as he was entering his seventh year at Hogwarts.

The thought scared him slightly, as he hadn't really thought much about what he was going to do after school, when the year was out. His sixth year had been pretty much uneventful, with a few death eater attacks on families but no attacks against Harry, Hogwarts or even the Order. This just made Harry even more positive that something _big_ was going to happen this year.

And he didn't really want to admit it, but he hadn't thought about the future because he didn't actually think he would have one. After hearing the prophecy, he had pretty much decided that in the last battle it was kill or be killed, and he didn't know if he could commit murder. The only option left was to _be_ murdered. And even if he _did _live to survive the war, what then was he supposed to do? His sole purpose in life was to save the world and killed Voldermort…so what was he supposed to do when he had completed his task?

Harry mentally shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts, deciding it really wasn't the time to be debating with himself whether or not he would die.

He caught sight of platinum blonde hair further down the platform, sticking out in the crowd. The Slytherin boy in question seemed to notice his gaze, and turned to him. Draco's eyes caught him own, and Harry felt his breath hitch in his throat. He was surprised to see that Draco's blank mask didn't change to a sneer or a glare, but stayed impassive for a moment before a look of total surprise flickered across.

Harry didn't seem to be able to break the stare, and felt the rest of the world slowly slip away. He began to actually _notice _the blonde, and realized how much he had grown over the summer. Even at a distance, Harry could see that he was a few inches shorter than Draco, though they were probably evenly matched in muscle. His hair was slicked back as usual, but seemed to have grown longer and his eyes were softer this year. Unless it was just because, for the first time, he wasn't glaring at him.

To his surprise, Draco didn't look away either, and the two seemed to be under a spell of sorts. Harry felt a strange emptiness in his stomach, as though all of a sudden he was missing everything that should be inside him. Lucius Malfoy turned to his son, laying a hand on his shoulder to catch his attention. Draco snapped out of the trance, and turned his back on Harry to talk to his father.

Harry blinked a few times, and instantly put the emptiness down to hunger. He turned away, looking around to his friends.

It annoyed him a little about an hour later when he found the box of Bertie Bott's every flavoured beans hadn't filled the 'hunger', and he frowned in thought before waving it off as a little bit of illness.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book on the other side of the compartment.

Harry gave her a smile, nodding quickly "Fine, don't worry."

"You know Harry, you do look oddly pale…" Ron agreed with his girlfriend, popping another chocolate frog into his mouth.

"I'm fine, honestly." For some reason, every instinct Harry possessed was telling him that they simply wouldn't understand; that they'd react in the wrong way to whatever he told them. Not that, of course, there was anything to tell them.

Was it getting hotter in the compartment?

"Your scar hasn't been bothering you of late, has it?" Hermione asked, still not fully assured of his well being.

Harry rolled her eyes at her mothering, shaking his head. "Nope, not at all."

"Good, that's good news right?" Ginny said, laying on her hand on Harry's arm and leaning slightly towards him. Harry nodded, passing a small smile and deciding over the next few minutes to somehow discreetly get as far away as possible from the girl. It wasn't that he didn't like her; she was a good friend. It was just…he couldn't stand her constant flirting.

He wasn't as naïve as everyone thought, and knew perfectly well when someone was hitting on him, no matter how much he ignored it. Just with Ginny… he didn't want to hurt her, but wouldn't really consider dating her. She was a good friend, but he thought of her as more of a little sister. It was slightly worrying that she didn't share this view.

Harry saw Neville frown slightly at Ginny's contact with Harry, and instantly drew her into a conversation, much to Harry's relief. As much as the boy denied it, Harry was almost positive Neville had a major crush on the red-head and welcomed it whole-heartedly. He just hoped the two would date so Ginny would stop trying to advance on him.

"You would tell us if there was anything going on, wouldn't you?"

Harry met Hermione's piercing gaze, and nodded. "Of course."

She stared at him for a few more moments before nodding and returning to whatever book she had managed to get her nose stuck into that time round. After that, Ron and Harry became occupied with a card game, playing numerous games which resulted in Ron managing to singe the hem of his shirt.

They had all laughed as he tried to put out the small fire, and had laughed harder when he growled at them. Hermione had soon fixed it for him, and the journey had continued pretty much in piece.

The compartment had definitely gotten hotter. Trying to shake off the 'lacking' feeling in his stomach (because, really, no matter how much the more sensible part of his mind protested, that was what it felt like), Harry had stood up some time later and told everyone he would be back soon, just going to the toilet.

He left the compartment, breathing a sigh of relief when he slid the door shut behind him. He just hadn't felt completely comfortable with them, and the heat; he just needed some air.

He shook his head, closing his eyes and breathing deeply for a few moments. Sighing in frustration, he opened his eyes again and began to walk down the corridor, not really caring where he was going.

He wasn't really quite sure how he ended up on the floor moments later, but he soon found himself on the floor staring up at a quite angry Draco Malfoy who was nursing a sore head.

"Can't you bloody well watch where you're going, Pot-…" Draco trailed off as their eyes locked, and Harry felt himself concentrating only on the teenager in front of him. He stood slowly to his feet, his eyes never leaving the others, and both teens stood for a few moments in silence. Draco snapped out of it first, muttering something, and brushing quickly past. As he did so their arms brushed together, and both boys felt the electric shock that had nothing to do with static energy.

Once the blonde was out of sight, Harry shook his head and made his way back to the compartment. He sat back down again, looking out of the window in time to see a small, brown feather owl fly away into the distance.

Harry rolled over and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, hoping to drift off to sleep. He didn't really want to get up, and judging from the lack of noise in the dormitory, it was still relatively early in the morning.

It was Saturday, and after the first week back at school he was fully prepared to welcome a late lie in. However, thanks to the sickening feeling in his stomach (it was upgraded from 'emptiness' the moment he had almost thrown up his dinner after the welcoming feast) he wasn't really able to drift back off to sleep. Grumbling angrily and swearing at the on-coming headache, Harry slowly sat up. He glanced at his watch and swore again when he saw it was barely gone three, laying back down again.

He laid an arm over his eyes, but it did nothing for the lack of sleep or the headache or – though it was a long shot – the sickness, and growled angrily. He just knew it was going to be a long day.

Harry eyed the little piece of egg on the end of his fork in distaste, not really feeling like eating. Monday mornings were never the best of times for any student, and the still present feeling of sickness in his stomach did nothing to help him. The feeling of uneasiness – the stifling heat that he had often found inflicted upon him at the weirdest moments - had not disappeared either, and he had been quite confused with the urge to go search for something; a something that Harry was quite stubbornly telling himself didn't exist, because he didn't know what the 'something' _was_.

Harry sighed dramatically as he stood up from the table, not really looking forward to what was to come.

"Oi, mate, where're you going?" Ron asked, still chewing on little bits of chicken and mash. Hermione grimaced, then rolled her eyes at Ron's forgetfulness, making it hard for Harry to contain his chuckle.

"I have a meeting with Dumbledore, remember?"

Ron furrowed his brow, swallowing, then nodded. "Oh yeah, I forgot 'bout that. Do you want us to come?"

Harry shook his head "Nah, it's all right, thanks," he replied "I'll tell you about it in the dormitory later. See you in class,"

"Yeah, have fun!" Hermione called, making Ron choke on a gulp of pumpkin juice as he began to laugh.

Harry was the one to roll his eyes this time, slinging his band over his shoulders as he headed off. He walked slowly down the pretty much empty halls, hoping his feet would take him where he needed to go without his brain doing any thinking. His brain _was _thinking though. For a start he wondered what the headmaster wanted to see him for, and vaguely mused over whether or not he had done anything wrong. Then he realized they were only a week into school, and it was highly unlikely he had managed to get himself into trouble already. Or at least, he hoped that was the case.

He shook his head, wondering what he could possibly have done to get himself into trouble. No, he decided, it wasn't that. So what was it? News of Voldermort?

Harry frowned, sincerely hoping that wasn't the case. He looked up in surprise to find himself already standing in front of the stone gargoyle and quickly mumbled the password. Within mere moments he was stood outside the headmaster's office, and he stood with his hand poised to knock when he heard voices within.

"-it's just impossible! He's a Malfoy!"

"Molly, calm down dear, it really isn't that hard to believe."

"It's a trap! It has you-know-who written all over it, it just has to be a trap!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, I can assure you-…"

Harry wasn't really sure if he recognized the last voice, but it had a small edge of familiarity to it. Deciding to stop what he guessed was quickly turning into a heated argument, Harry knocked. Predictably, all the voices on the other side of the door instantly fell quiet, and he heard a quick mutter or two before he was told to enter.

"Ah, Harry my dear boy, so glad you could find time to come."

As Harry closed the door behind him, he quickly glanced around the room, raising his eyebrows at the occupants. There was Molly and Arthur Weasley, Professor McGonagall and Snape (who he noticed was scowling more than usual), Dumbledore, Remus and to his surprise Draco Malfoy who paled upon seeing him. Next to him sat another woman, who guessing upon likeliness alone he guessed was Draco's mother.

"Harry!" Molly cried, crushing him in a lethal hug. "You look half starved, have you been eating, how have you be-"

"Do let the boy breath, Molly," Dumbledore said, his eye twinkling as usual. Molly pulled back reluctantly, conjuring a chair for Harry next to her and Arthur.

"Hello Harry"

"Hiya Remus, Mr Weasley," Harry said, giving a small wave to each "Um…" he turned back to Dumbledore who was sat at the desk in front of them, as the were positioned in a semicircle so he had plain view of both Malfoy's.

"You wanted to see me sir?" He mumbled, not really sure if he was going to like the outcome of this meeting. However, upon catching site of Draco, his heat that had been building since breakfast lessened in a cool wave of reliefe.

"Ah yes, I will get to that in just a moment, Harry. First of all, I'm rather afraid I have to ask you a few questions, which may be, ah, rather embarrassing on you behalf. I must ask you to answer truthfully though, as it is imperative to the rest of this meeting."

There was that damn twinkle, Harry noticed, and he nodded. He remembered regretting that in the weeks to follow, he just knew something bad would come of it.

"Questions, sir?"

"Well, my dear boy, we'll start with the easiest question. Are you currently, ah, involved with anyone?"

Harry wasn't quite sure where exactly that whole conversation was leading.

"Urm…no, sir," he answered slowly, just knowing it was going to get worse.

"Good good. And, tell me…" he trailed off as though unsure as to whether to continue, and Harry could of sworn he saw a faint blush on his cheeks "How shall I put this, have been in a _serious _relationship in the past?"

"What? What kind of a question is that?"

"I'm very sorry to have to ask it, but it is important to know."

Harry looked around the room, blushing slightly. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to admit this in front of so many people.

"No…" He answered in a small voice, not quite meeting Dumbledore's eyes.

"Right, and lastly, of which orientation are you?"

Harry blinked. Then he blinked again. Had his head teacher just asked him which sex he was more attracted to?

"Urm…do I _have_ to answer these questions sir?"

He could swear by that annoying twinkle that Dumbledore was actually getting some sort of pleasure at making him blush and feel uneasy. He nodded in reply, and Harry groaned. Then he simply shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about it before."

"But you're not repulsed by the idea of being with another male?"

"Sir, forgive me for asking, but what does this have to with anything?" Harry asked, the blush finally dying down.

"Ah, yes, well, I do believe I should let Mrs. Malfoy explain that one. Narcissa."

Harry raised an eyebrow slightly, turning to the pale woman opposite him beside Draco. She was dressed in a black dress, and had spent her time glaring at the Weasley's though, when she turned to Harry, she gave him a small smile.

"Yes, now where to begin...well, to put it bluntly, I am not fully human. I am in fact a veela – or half veela, no one is quite sure, really –, from my mother's side if I remember correctly. When I came into my inheritance at seventeen, my father was highly displeased with the news, and instantly arranged a marriage to another pureblood family. I was soon pining for my mate, but my father locked me into the house until he could find a 'cure'. They could not, but as I was not a full veela they soon realized I _might _not die, so they decided to take that chance and never told my fiancé or their family about my 'impurity'. I was told simply to marry Lucius Malfoy and forget any rubbish my mother had taught me. Well, to make a long story short, I was married off and never found my mate nor did I ever fully bond. However, my marriage to Lucius obviously did not kill me, and eventually resulted in my giving birth to Draco.

It was Draco's birthday the day before everyone returned to this school, and we quickly realized he too has inherited the veela gene. It is not a large enough part of him for him to inherit much of the attraction powers, though I must say, he doesn't really need them with the looks he managed to snag. However, he did inherit almost every other aspect; the possessiveness, the jealousy, the natural instincts and- the overwhelming urge to find a mate and bond with them."

"Right. What does this have to do with me?"

"Mr. Potter, just what exactly do you know about Veela's?" Snape asked, the look on his face one of utter disgust.

"You know, all though we've had a lot of incompetent DADA professor's over the years – Remus not included – I do not lack the ability to read," Harry retorted, sending a glare in the potion teachers direction.

"Harry, please answer the question," Professor McGonagall said, her voice sounding oddly strained.

"All right then. I know they can find their mates through smell and that the attraction is overwhelming, if the mate rejects them they can die, if their mate dies the veela dies…once bonded, it works the other way as well I think. The bonding heightens the awareness, lets each one of the couple sense the other's feelings, and if the power between the two is strong enough they it has also been known to create a link between the two minds so they can hear each other's thoughts…But still, what does any of this have to do with me?"

"Oh Harry, it's just terrible!" Molly cried, dabbing at her eyes with a cloth.

Remus rolled his eyes "Oh come now Molly, it really isn't that bad. In fact, if Harry looks upon it in a lighter manner, he might even begin to consider it somewhat of a blessing; the love of a veela –"

"He's a DEATH EATER!" Molly cried angrily. At this statement, both of the Malfoy's stood, rage written all over their faces.

"I am not a death eater!" Draco nearly yelled, glaring angrily at the woman and rolling up both his sleeves to prove that no mark had been branded upon him.

"Mrs Weasley, as much as it pains me to shatter your fragile and narrow view on the world, not all Slytherin's are evil, myself and my son included. Never have we followed the ways of the dark lord, and my husband as a right to do as he likes. I do not have share his point of view, and neither does my son."

Narcissa's voice was sickly sweet, and a pleasant little smile rested upon her face.

"If I hear you call my son a death eater just _one _more time, my good woman, I shall not restrain myself from using any number of curses that happen to jump to my tongue. You must remember, I am a part veela, and I have the law on my side when it comes to defending loved ones."

Narcissa sat down again, Draco following suite, though he kept shooting glares at the other woman. By now, Molly had stopped crying, and was mumbling under her breath.

"Urm…sorry, but I still don't understand why I need to know all this."

Draco bit his lip, and Dumbledore's twinkle increased greatly.

"Well, my dear boy, as luck would have it, you are Draco's mate."

_There you have it, the very first chapter! Reviews are appreciated, and if you think it's a cool idea just say the word and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as it's edited!_

_Edited chapter; 26-05-07_


	2. Angry Outburst

Author's note; Hello again! Thank you to all my reviewers, you won't believe how nice it is to hear you like my writing. Responses are at the end. 

Warning; Slash DH, don't like don't read. Strong language, kinda'. Heh.

Disclaimer; If I owned Harry Potter I would not be writing this little note. I think I might be somewhere on a beach though…or in a book store reading manga. That works.

DmHp

"_Urm…sorry, but I still don't understand why I need to know all this."_

_Draco bit his lip, and Dumbledore's twinkle increased greatly. _

"_Well, my dear boy, as luck would have it, you are Draco's mate."_

Harry blinked. Then he blinked again. Then he realized he probably _should _have stayed in bed that morning. He was the mate of a half Veela. That Veela was Draco Malfoy. Shit. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.

Harry decided to blink again. "Okay," he said, running a hand through his hair "right."

"Oh my, the poor boy's in shock," Minerva stated, her voice sounding rather upset.

"No…no, I'm…fine. I think. Just…explain to me how _this_ is going to work exactly."

"Yes, well, obviously you two cannot be apart from hereon in, you have both already no doubt been experiencing…sickness. That is because of your lack of contact. We have set up rooms to accommodate you both, and unfortunately you will both have to make a few compromises in your timetables so you can both attend the same classes. Your powers will both become drained rather quickly when you are apart for any length of time, and once you have bonded you will rarely wish to be out of one and others sight at all. Unfortunately, we do not know just how much of Mr. Malfoy is a veela, and we cannot be certain just how much of the characteristics he has inherited. We all recommend you both take the rest of the week off school to adjust to this new way of living, and of course take the time to break the news to your friends. After the week is up, it would be nice to see your faces at meals, and we wish for the both of you to take the times to sit at each others' respective tables.

Harry, I can assure you no matter what your worries are, Draco is unable to harm you in any way, nor can he pressure you into a relationship of any kind.

Whilst your most trusted companions may be told, this news will not be released to the school. Oh, sure enough, the students will find out at some time or another; for now, however, it is best to consider only your safety, and the delay will allow you to get used to the situation before the tales spread to the schools rumour mills."

No one spoke after Dumbledore had finished, and Harry found himself blinking again in confusion.

"What…what about your father?" Harry asked Draco slowly, the news still not settling in as it probably should have done by that time.

"Lucius was never, ever, informed of my veela side," Narcissa stated. Harry's eyes widened slightly.

"He doesn't know…"

"No," Draco replied, shrugging "and it wouldn't matter if he did, nor will it matter if and when he finds out. I do not care about my father's opinion on the matter; he has no say in my life. My mate is my first and only priority; besides, I rejected the dark lord over this last summer, refusing to take the mark, so there is not really much else I can do to anger either of them. He cannot harm you Harry; you have my word on that."

Harry blinked again, then raised a hand to his temple whilst closing his eyes, rubbing it in a circular motion. He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say to that.

"This is ridiculous, Harry, don't tell me you are even considering this!" Molly practically shrieked, Arthur whispering gently to her to calm down.

"No I will not calm down! This is a Malfoy! This is probably some evil plot to get Harry to you know who!"

Harry opened his eyes again, frowning slightly. Draco opened his mouth angrily to retort, but Harry jumped in first.

"With all due respect, Mrs Weasley, what is there to consider? If I reject Draco, he dies."

"_May _die! That _woman _is still alive!"

"Without meaning any disrespect to Mrs. Malfoy," Harry snapped, "from what I know of him, Malfoy has much more power – _magic _- than either of his parents. However, needing a mate, some of his magic may be shared with said mate, and magic is a life-source all on its own. To take it away…no matter what, this is not worth risking his life over; you don't seem to understand that he could _die_."

"Good riddance!"

Narcissa stood up again in anger, hand flying for her wand. However, Remus beat her to a lecture.

"Really Molly!" He cried, his hand resting on his own wand. "We are here to support Harry, not force him into killing his mate!"

Mrs Weasley stood, Remus rising with her.

"Oh," she growled "you are just like Sirius, telling me what I am doing is wrong for the boy!"

Harry drew a deep breath, not needing to be reminded of Sirius at that point in time. He saw the pain flicker across Remus' face as well, but it vanished just as quickly.

"Harry is old enough to make decisions for himself-"

"I am his primary care-giver, I know what is best and he shall do as I say!"

"You cannot tell Harry what to do! No one can!" It was Draco who spoke this time, his mother putting a hand on his arm to stop him advancing on the infuriating woman. As much as Narcissa hated the fact, it was not their battle.

"Draco is right, you cannot tell him what he can or cannot do. He is seventeen, legally of age - not that his age even matters in this. You know the laws; no one has the right to take a mate from a veela, or even the other way around! You do _not _have a say in this matter! Harry is able to make his own decisions, and I trust him to do what he feels is right," Remus argued, trying to stay calm.

"After Sirius died – and good bloody riddance – I never thought I'd say these words again, especially not to you. _He is not James_!"

Remus stood stock still, not having heard past the 'good bloody riddance'. Even Arthur and the three professors looked _very_ shocked, and both Narcissa and Draco were snarling. No one said a word for several moments until, very slowly, Harry rose to his feet. Counting to ten in his head, he tried incredibly hard to keep a check on his anger.

The rattling silverware could be ignored.

"So is that what you think then? That Sirius deserved to die because he treated me like a son? Because he liked the fact I reminded him of his _best friend_? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Molly spun around, anger still written over her face. "He tried to go against my word Harry, you know I mean no harm."

"He did what was best for me! He may not have had money, he may not been around for long, but he gave me freedom! He treated me like the son he never had, he took care of me in the memory of my father and he loved me! He was always looking out for me, Hermione and Ron, and even Remus and the rest of the bloody order! Was he really _so damn worthless that he deserved to die?_" Harry growled, glaring at the older woman.

None of the previous headmasters in their portraits were asleep now.

Molly snorted, turning red-faced. "Yeah right. He only liked you because you're a carbon copy of your father."

"Oh what, so now _I'm_ worthless?" Harry spat, only vaguely noticing that Narcissa was having a hard time restraining Draco.

A crystal ball shattered.

"I never said that!"

"I-…I think you had better leave, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said in a very low voice, his hand on his hovering over his wand as a warning threat.

"What?" Molly spluttered. "I'm only looking out for you Harry-…"

"Harry is right, Molly, I will see you back at the order," Dumbledore said gravely, the sparkle in his eye completely dead. Behind the woman Remus had sunk back into a chair, his head now resting in his hands.

"This is outrageous!" Molly snapped, turning to her husband who was frowning. "Tell them!"

"I think they're right, Molly, perhaps you should go calm down. I will join back home soon."

Molly stared at him, mouth open wide, before storming over to the fire-place and flooing back to the Burrow.

Harry took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. He shook his head violently, his hand loosening the grip on his wand and tucking it away. Slowly, the silver instruments in the room settled down, the hum of the various objects vibrating gradually dieing away.

"I am so sorry, Harry, she had no right to do that," Arthur mumbled, looking seriously apologetic.

"It's all right," Harry replied quietly, before kneeling in front of Remus. He prised his hands away from his face, forcing the werewolf to look at him. Hints of tears were present in his eyes, and all of a sudden his ex-professor he was looking old and weary.

"I'm sorry Remus, you didn't need that."

Remus smiled gently, running his fingers down Harry's cheek. "You didn't deserve that either," he replied, pulling the teenager into a tight hug without caring who was present in the room. He pulled back after only a moment though, noticing the slightly more than angry look on Draco's face.

"Thank you for caring, Harry."

Harry grinned at him, standing again, feeling a lot better now he was sure the last marauder was feeling okay about it all. Molly bringing up Sirius's death had hit them both hard, and neither were ready to cope with such memories.

"Harry?"

Harry turned back to the headmaster as everyone re-seated themselves, and sat back down again as well.

"As distressing as that –er, outburst – was, you still need to decide."

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair again. "I know. I'll go through with this but…" his eyes flickered to Draco. "I'm sorry, I won't promise anything. I _can't_.We've been enemies for so long; I'm willing to give it a shot but that's all I can promise you will get from me."

Draco smiled none-the-less, already plotting how he could win over his mate. "I won't push you, I promise. If friendship is all you can give I'll be happy with it, although I have to warn you in advance; I _will_ be courting you. I blame the Veela genes."

The blonde was smirking, back to his old self.

Harry smiled at him, though it was a little strained. "Oh, and I can't promise you'll still be alive after I've broken the news to Ron either."

Both boys laughed at this, and Remus and Arthur chuckled as well, knowing the red-head's hatred toward the Slytherin.

"Splendid," Dumbledore said, the sparkle coming back to his eyes. "Well, as I said, you can take the day off classes, so, if Severus and Minerva are willing, they will show you to your rooms. I'll send your friends along around lunch, so you can both explain the situation to them. Off with you now."

Harry nodded and stood up, slinging his bag back onto his shoulder before following the two professors down the corridor with Draco and Narcissa at his side.

"Will your friends be all right with this?" Harry asked Draco in a quiet voice, trying to think of anything that would save them having to walk in an uncomfortable silence. Draco shrugged.

"I don't know. I think Pansy will be; she'll be pleased I found you before going crazy-…"

"Pansy? I thought you two were dating a little while back or something?"

Draco raised his eyebrows, laughing and shaking his head. "No way!" He replied, still grinning. "She's like…it's like what you have with Granger, she's more like my sister than anything else."

Harry nodded in understanding. "What about everyone else?"

"Well, I wouldn't think Crabbe or Goyle would care too much, and I highly doubt Blaise will give a damn so you're pretty much okay on this side. There is one thing I should warn you about in advance though. You're going to pretty shocked when meeting my friends, they've lived behind masks for so much of their lives that I highly doubt you've _ever _seen anything like the real them. Crabbe and Goyle for instance, they actually have brains. Which leads me to another point…I'm sorry, for the way I've treated you over these past years and everything."

Harry had to admit he was rather shocked. An apology from a Malfoy; it was unheard of. Then again, he had never seen Draco smile or heard him laugh before – unless it was laughing at somebody else's' expense.

"Oh…don't give it another thought. I'm sorry to; I suppose I wasn't exactly nice either."

Draco passed him a smile, but before either could say anything they found themselves standing outside a portrait of a teenage male elf, who was lying on the grass underneath a tree reading a book. He looked up when he saw the visitors, and beamed at them whilst brushing his long brown hair out of his pale blue eyes.

"Hello! You must be the veela couple I heard about!"

Draco nodded smirking at Harry who staring at the ground with a faint blush on his cheeks. He hadn't thought about them as a couple.

"Boys, this is Rayne, he's the guardian of your rooms," Professor McGonagall said, before turning back to the portrait. "Dragon fire."

The portrait swung open at the password, and the group of five entered. Upon looking around the room, Harry admitted he rather liked the place.

The portrait led into a room much like their common rooms, only it was slightly smaller and with different colours. The walls were a light shade of blue, and the carpet was a darker shade of the same colour. There was a fire-place on one wall, with a couch facing it and several other chairs all in a rich chocolate brown. At the other end of the room were two desks, spaced only a little way apart, all ready stocked with quills, ink and parchment. There was also a portrait on the wall, where the figure was sleeping peacefully to be used as a means of contact.

On the right was an oak door which lead into a pristine bathroom, with both a separate shower and quite a large bath – about half the size of the prefect baths, and it was also fitted into the floor - as well as everything else the two needed. The walls were turquoise, and the tiled floor was a pale silver.

Opposite that were two other doors, one leading to Harry's room and one leading to Draco's. Draco's bed was dark green (obviously they had had house colours in mind) and the medium blue colour had been carried on from the living room for the carpet. The smooth walls were a silvery grey, and the room also contained a large wardrobe, a chest of draws and bookshelves in one corner. There was also a large window over-looking the quidditch pitch, much to his delight.

Harry's room was much the same, only with the combinations of deep red and dark blue. Next to their rooms was a large library, each wall lined full of books. Adjoined to the living room was a kitchen, and the room change was made obvious where the carpet turned to tiles. There was a table and chairs, as well as a sink and a fridge. Harry guessed they were supposed to use magic for meals.

"Now, obviously there are several other points to be made here; the first is that either one or both of you have to give up quidditch. For obvious reasons we cannot let you both play in a match," Professor McGonagall said, looking pointedly at Harry. Obviously she didn't want to loose him from the team, as he had made captain that year.

Harry frowned slightly, and he noticed Draco scowling at her. They both loved quidditch and had both been made captain; how could either of them give that up?

"Also, house elves are available to bring your meals for the first weak. Simply snap your fingers and order – politely mind, they are not slaves." For this statement she looked at Draco, who rolled his eyes.

"It may surprise you to know we do _not_ abuse our house elves, I could never harm them, they're too cute," Narcissa stated, cooing slightly "Lucius is the only one who does so."

Professor McGonagall raised her eye-brows, but didn't say anything else on the topic.

"One last thing; over the next few days or even weeks, you two are going to be in need of…the company of each other. Until you bond you will most likely be seeking each other's touch, so I warn you now so you are not too freaked out by the feeling.

Your things should already be in you rooms, so we'll leave you two it," the two professors swept out of the room, and Harry sighed.

"If you two don't mind, I'm going to go sleep for a bit. Could you please wake me up for lunch?"

Draco looked slightly worried, but nodded anyway, and Harry walked into his room then flopped gracelessly onto the bed. He just knew he should have stayed in bed that morning.

DmHp

_Well, that's another chapter over and done with. You like? Don't forget to leave a review, I'll hand out choccy cookies next time! _

_Thanks a bunch to all my wonderful reviewers to the first chapter! _

Edited; 26-05-07


	3. No joke

Author's note; Yes, third chapter up! _**Thank you so much**_, everyone, for the reviews; it seems that everyone now hates Molly (Yes, mission complete!). Oh, and here's you're choccy cookies! passes round cookies. Next time it'll be…hum, what should I hand out next time??? Hehehe. Anyway, I'm glad you've like the last few chapters and I hope this one is just as good!

_**Important note**_; My next update isn't going to be for a while, very sorry about that. It's just I'm going away for a week (on a school trip so no computer) and the week I get back I have exams groan. I'll try to put up an update as soon as I can, and if everyone reviews I'll try and be quicker! Happy reading.

Warning; Slash DH, don't like don't read

Disclaimer; I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. sigh I wish I did though…

DmHp

"_Your things should already be in you rooms, so we'll leave you two it," the two professors swept out of the room, and Harry sighed. _

"_If you two don't mind, I'm going to go sleep for a bit. Could you please wake me up for lunch?"_

_Draco looked slightly worried, but nodded anyway, and Harry walked into his room then flopped gracelessly onto the bed. He just knew he should have stayed in bed that morning._

Watching his mate retreat into his room, Draco frowned slightly and gave a small sigh. On the outside, Harry _seemed _to have taken the news alright but Draco was wondering how the other teenager was really handling it all. Hell, when he had first found out he was a certain part veela, Draco had flipped. His eyes flickered over to the fire which jumped into life, the flames rising high and performing a small sort of dance as he remembered the moment he found out his mothers secret.

_Draco rolled onto one side, clutching at his stomach and growling softly in pain. Bloody typical; he woke up on the morning of his birthday __**really **__early to open presents only to find he had a raging headache and a stabbing pain running through his stomach. To top it off, a dull sort of ache sat in his shoulders, shooting down his spine at irregular intervals. _

_It was ridiculous. He felt weak and drained of all his energy, not to mention his magic. Malfoys' did __**not **__feel weakness! He was just glad his father wasn't home at home; it meant he could stay in bed and try to sleep whatever this was off. He didn't have high hopes. _

_He gave a slight groan as he tried to move, then resigned himself to staying in the same place. It was quite annoying really that, not only did he have no idea what was going on, but he had no way of contacting anyone else to see if they knew either. They could have at least got him a potion to quell the pain, but noooo, this stupid – whatever the hell it was – just had to go and make him bed-ridden. _

_Feeling a sudden, sharp pain in his shoulder blades, Draco let out another moan. However, he was soon swearing loudly and covered in small beads of sweat. His breath became rather laboured, and the pain increased greatly. It spread down his back and round his neck, then it stopped. _

_Draco had the chance to breath deeply for a few priceless seconds, before his ear piercing scream rang through the halls of Malfoy mansion. The pain came back tenfold, and his body felt as though it was on fire. He felt the skin around his shoulder blades rip away from the bones, and he felt the still warm blood trickle down his back and onto the sheets. _

_And that was how Narcissa found him, curled into a ball with his sheets and quilt tangled in a heap on the floor. Her son had blacked out from the pain, and two large, dark purple wings were folded neatly upon his back. _

_Narcissa frowned in pity, her lips twitching upwards slightly. Several house-elves were rather terrified a few moments later when she let out a triumphant laugh, her smile wide and her arms spread out wide as she twirled around. _

"_Yes!" She cried, over and over. "Fuck you, Lucius, he's mine!"_

_DmHp_

_Draco opened his eyes slowly, the pain in his back slowly ebbing away with every moment he spent in consciousness. His vision was blurred, but he still managed to make out a few small figures hovering by his bed and the slightly larger but still dainty figure of his mother, sitting in a chair not so far away, reading. _

_He felt something cold being dabbed against his back, and let out a small gasp of pain. His mother looked up from her book, smiling at him then closing the book with a book-mark in place. _

_Draco blinked a few times, removing the remaining sleep pearls from the corner of his eyes before taking a few deep breaths to control the pain. _

"_What. The. Fuck. Was. That?" He growled, putting as much hate and venom into the words as possible and hoping his mother would understand what he was referring to. _

"_What, last night?" Narcissa let her mask slip slightly, a small smile hovering on her lips. "That was your inheritance."_

"_My WHAT?"_

"_Draco, look over your shoulder, what do you see?"_

_Draco narrowed his eyes at his mother, not understanding her reasoning. He did as she said anyway, gasping at the sight of the two dark purple wings protruding from in between his shoulder blades that two of the house elves were nervously dabbing at to rid them of blood. _

"_What the hell?" Draco spun his head back to face his mother, traces of terror spread throughout his features. _

"_Draco, as much of a shock this may be to you, you are part veela."_

"_I'M WHAT?"_

And so his mother had sat for an hour or so explaining it to him, the whole history and what his future looked like. From his eyes, everything was bleak and miserable. He was basically being forced into a relationship with his worst enemy, and he didn't feel like stopping it. What would happen between the two though…the ideas were terrifying. Once they bonded that was it - there was no switching partner; they were stuck for life.

From Draco's eyes, he was too young to be attached to someone for life; he wanted to enjoy his youth without being tied down to someone. And he had told his mother so – excluding the bit about his worst enemy, as he didn't know who his mate was and simply referring to his mate as 'her' – and then his mother had laughed at him. So he had screamed a little, yelled a lot, then ranted and raved about the unfairness of it all until he ran out of steam. He paced a lot, even after his anger had subsided slightly, ignoring the pain that shot through his body with every movement. It was a thinking habit, one which – he scowled at the thought – he had picked up from his father.

His mother had been understanding, and had comforted him whilst he tried to get his head round it all. She had also quite calmly stated that it – the mate- might be a 'he' not a 'she' and had been quite surprised to find he didn't care. He then confessed he'd known he was bisexual for a year or two and couldn't care less what gender his mate was.

Draco frowned, still watching the flames in their wavering dance, his attention still focused on his thoughts. He barely noticed when his mother left the room to explore, nor when she left their quarters entirely and told him she would be back shortly. He had looked up several hours later and scoured the place for her until he finally remembered she had left some time ago. Banging his head on a wall, he cursed his own stupidity and stupidity for wallowing in his thoughts like that. He did not need to remember how he came to be there, only what he had to do to go forward.

DmHp

"Harry. Harry, wake up."

Draco gently shook the other boys' shoulder, smiling at the way the teenager mumbled something defiantly in his sleep.

"Harry!"

"I'm up, I'm up," Harry mumbled, slowly opening his eyes. He blinked a few times before it all came flooding back to him. For some reason, the place where Draco's hand lay on his shoulder felt incredibly warm – not hot, warm-, and Harry couldn't help but smile at the feeling Draco being near created within him. When Draco left to request a house elf, Harry suddenly felt inexplicably cold – which was such a contrast to the heat he had been growing used to that he rather wished the blonde had never left.

He walked out of the room and replied to Draco's question of what he wanted to eat, telling him pretty much anything would do. The house elf seemed to have swapped the word 'anything' with 'everything', because almost _everything _seemed to be laid out on the now enlarged table in front of the boys.

Draco grabbed a plate and began to fill it, Harry sitting opposite him and doing the same.

"You know, I didn't actually expect the house elf to bring us _everything_, I was thinking like a sandwich or something."

Draco laughed, nodding. "Yeah, that's what I asked for. I guess the house elves like us a lot or something."

Harry rolled his eyes. "A bit vain are we?"

"No," Draco snorted. "I'm a Malfoy. I don't _need _to be vain, everybody loves me anyway."

Harry laughed, and Draco found himself loving the sound of it, loving the way his whole face lit up when he smiled and how Harry's eyes twinkled when he laughed.

The portrait opened before either of them could say anything, and Harry soon found himself under one of Hermione's hugs.

"Hermione – breathe - …"

When Harry was set free by his friend, he saw Draco scowling angrily across the table. At first he was rather confused, wondering what the hell the blonde had against her, then something that Narcissa had said clicked in his brain. _Jealousy…_

"Draco, please, it's all right. She's my friend, remember? Just like you and Pansy; she's not a threat."

Draco narrowed his eyes but nodded anyway, cutting into his sausage. It seemed that until then neither Ron nor Hermione had seen the Slytherin until that point, but now Hermione was looking suspicious and Ron was glaring angrily at him. Harry conjured two chairs, and they each sat on either side of him.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Ron spat, glaring venomously at Draco who sent a smirk back.

"Yes, Harry, what _is_ he doing here?" Hermione asked, although she seemed to be a lot calmer than the other boy.

"Okay, this is… this is hard to explain guys. Draco is-…"

"Draco?" Ron roared. "Since when has the ferret been 'Draco'?"

Harry sighed, realizing he didn't actually have a clue when he had begun referring to the blonde as Draco, but decided it wasn't really the time to dwell on it.

"Listen will you?! Draco is a veela, or part veela at least."

"So?" Ron asked.

Hermione had raised her eyebrows, and her mouth was hanging open. "Oh," she said, swallowing hard. "Oh. Oh, I see," she shook her head slightly, looking from the blonde teenager to the dark haired one before smiling widely.

"Well, that's just great! Honestly it is, really it is. You know you are so lucky Harry, they say the love of a veela is just about the purest love you can get!" she squealed, hugging Harry again. This time she was the one who caught the look Draco sent her, and instantly sat back down.

"Oh god, sorry Malfoy, I didn't even think…I'm not competition, I swear it, and you know I would never hurt Harry."

"Yeah, I know, it's all right. I have to get used to it at some point anyway, it's not like I can tear apart _everyone _who touches him."

Hermione sent him a gentle smile, and Harry grinned at the way they were sort of getting along. Then he remembered Ron, who was beginning to turn red in the face.

"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled at the bushy haired girl, not at all liking the fact that she was _smiling _at Draco bloody Malfoy.

"WILL SOMEONE EXPLAIN JUST WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"

"Ron, Draco's…I…I'm Draco's mate."

Ron burst out laughing, standing up and patting Harry's shoulder.

"Brilliant joke Harry, fucking brilliant. You can clear off now Malfoy."

"It's not a joke Ron," Harry said, not smiling any more. Ron paled drastically.

"WHAT? MALFOY WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO HARRY?"

"He hasn't done anything to me-…"

"Yes he has! This has to be some kind of spell, anything…I mean, he comes along and tells you he's a veela and that you're his mate and you just believe him? He's a Malfoy, he'll hand you over to who-you-know who at the first chance he gets!"

Draco growled angrily, feeling his veela genes increase his anger by a large percent. The Weasel really was a little idiot.

Although, Draco reflected, he could hardly be called little any more. The Weasel had grown a lot over the summer, and his robes were an inch or two too short even though he only had an inch in height on Draco.

"Ronald, really!" Hermione exclaimed, looking rather shocked. "Yes I agree that this is Malfoy and we should keep up a certain level of caution, but do you think if a Malfoy would sink as low as that? And what good would it be when they're locked up in here anyway?"

"Hermione, can you hear yourself?"

Hermione was gradually turning red-faced, and suddenly stood angrily, her fist slamming down onto the table.

"Damn it, Ron! I think you should ask yourself that same question, because I cannot believe what words are currently falling out of your mouth! You can be such an idiot sometimes!" The words tumbled harshly out of her mouth, stinging Ron to a point where he opened his mouth but no sound came out. His girlfriend was disagreeing with him. And calling him an idiot. Fuck, he must have messed up somewhere along the way.

"Hermione! I don't get it, just what the hell have I done wrong? Or are you trying to tell me that you're on Malfoy's side?"

"THERE ARE NO SIDES!" Hermione finally snapped, causing both Harry and Draco to back away very slightly in their chairs.

"I am trying to be a good friend Ron! You are Harry's best friend, you are suppose do support him! I think that finding out he's the mate of a Veela is one of those times Ron! Harry is going through one of the biggest events in his life, and Draco's the only one that's going to be able to pull him through and it works the other way around as well!"

"Draco isn't going anywhere, Ron," Harry said quietly, wanting to give Hermione a chance to cool off before either she or Ron said something that would damage their relationship beyond all repair.

"He's going to be here from now on, and he's going to be a big part of my life. I haven't offered him anything other than my friendship, but I will give him at least that. You either accept it or you don't, but you have no say in whether he stays in my life or not. Don't make me chose between you, because I doubt very much that you will win."

Ron didn't, no, _couldn't_ say anything. He was in a lot of shock. A huge amount of shock. He feared his head was going to blow up from the massive amount of shock. He was quite sure he was sleeping, it was just a bad dream. A very bad dream. A nightmare.

Ron didn't know what to do. He had never been the smartest of people, and right now he found his thinking capacity had reached its limit. So he did the only thing he could really comprehend; shaking his head and muttering curses under his breath, Ron stormed out of the room.

DmHp

A/N – well, that's it, another week another chapter. I have to apologise for my spelling and grammar, it's never been one of my strong points. I am checking them through, but I tend to miss things. I promise to start taking more time to check them through, but today I just wanted to get this thing written and posted!

Like I said at the beginning, I don't know when the next chapter will be up (read the important note at the beginning of the chap for the explanation) but I will try to get one posted as soon as I can.

Review please, it's really good to nice what everyone thinks!

P.S (do you know how weird it is for me to write a p.s at the end of a chapter?) The next chapter will be Draco's friend's responses, I couldn't fit them on this one without making it _really_ long and loosing all my ideas for the first part of the next chap. Happy reading!

Edited; 26-05-07


	4. Ry?

Authors notes – Apologies in advanced for the grammar and spelling etc, it's late and I couldn't be bothered to check through my work. I have a load of exams tomorrow, so you're lucky to even be getting this. I hope it's good anyway, don't forget to review! Thank you to _all _past reviewers and even my readers, big hugs to you all!

Warning – content/reference to abuse, slash fic HD

Disclaimer – same old, same old, not mine blah blah blah

DmHp

Once Ron had left through the portrait door, Hermione took a few shaky breaths to steady herself.

"Hey, you all right?" Harry asked, gently laying a hand on her arm. She flashed him a smile, rolling her eyes.

"Of course I'm all right, silly. And don't you dare think for even a second that this is your fault; yes, I know exactly what you're thinking and it's not true. Don't worry anyway, Ron will come around, I think he just needs a little time to think things through."

"I could always curse him, if that'll help," Draco offered, already thinking of a dozen ways to repay the red-head for his kindness. Harry rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"No, it'll be all right. Just let him cool off."

Hermione gave a short nod, agreeing. "I'll have a few words with him later, see what I can do."

"Thanks, Hermione."

The bushy haired girl smiled at him, then gave him a brief hug.

"I'll visit soon, okay? I think I'd better go though."

She shot a small smile at the blonde haired teenager across the table before leaving, shutting the portrait quietly behind her.

Harry let out a breath he suspected he'd been holding since he'd said the words 'I'm Draco's mate', then banged his head forcefully against the table top.

"Well, that went well."

Draco let out a snort, then moved to sit by his mate, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder and raising him back into an upright position.

"I always said the Weasel was a git."

"The Weasel, Draco, is - was – I don't know anymore – my best friend. Thanks though, at least you didn't start some major argument or something," Harry replied, closing his eyes briefly before re-opening them to roll his eyes at the blonde's next drawled statement.

"What can I say, I'm perfect in every way."

DmHp

The two teenagers didn't manage to snatch much time to eat in piece after the two Gryffindor seventh years had left their rooms, as they were interrupted not ten minutes later by four streaks of green, black and silver darting into the room.

"Draco!'"

The blonde, who had stood up and walked closer to the door when he heard the portrait open, was encased in the arms of a mask free Slytherin girl who was most likely trying to strangle him to death.

"Pansy! Lay off," as soon as she pulled back from the hug, Pansy immediately started questioning the blonde haired teenager.

"Okay, that's it Mr! I've been worried sick all bloody morning and now I've finally find you and all you can say is 'lay off'! You're in big trouble, Malfoy, running off like that!"

The girl's rant was interrupted by an almost bark like laugh from one of the other three boys who had followed her into the room.

"Pansy, you saw him this morning! It's not like you're his mother."

"Blaise Zabini, you shut the hell up right now!"

Blaise rolled his eyes at her, and grinned at Draco. "Hey up, mate. Seriously, where've you been all morning? And how the fuck did you score with the cool digs?"

"Zabini?"

"Yo?"

"Cut the accent, it doesn't suit you."

Blaise pulled at face at the blonde, and the other Slytherin's laughed at the pair. Blaise mock pouted, crossing his arms and glaring at Draco.

This action only caused Draco to laugh harder, and eventually his friend was laughing as well.

"How come you do have the room, anyway?" It was Crabbe who spoke this time, looking around the room as he did so. Draco automatically stepped sideways a little, so he was hiding Harry, using his body as a shield. The dark haired boy was still seated at the table, as he had figured it might be best if he let Draco explain everything first.

"Ah, yeah, well, about that…you remember that whole 'I've got a bit of veela blood in me' thing?"

"I always said you were weird," was Blaise's confirmation that he remembered.

"Shut it you. Anyway, I err-…I've found my mate."

Pansy gave a squeal of delight, and immediately crushed Draco in another hug.

"Ooh, who, who?"

"Erm…hi, guys?"

The Slytherins' looked up at the sound of a new voice, not sure as to where it came from until Harry stood up and moved to stand beside the blonde.

"Potter," Blaise growled, scowling at the Gryffindor. Harry winced a little at his tone, then watched as the four faces in front of him instantly resumed their uninterruptible stony masks.

Pansy turned to him, cocking her head slightly to one side. She walked slowly in a circle around him, and Draco rolled his eyes to assure Harry she was most likely just trying to freak him out.

"What, am I a museum piece now?" Harry drawled, crossing his arms and putting on a mock scowl that looked remarkably like the blonde standing next to him.

Blaise laughed at his sarcasm, and Pansy flashed him a rare smile. Crabbe and Goyle shared a glance, then nodded once and their masks dropped.

"You've got yourself a right one there, Dray, he'll be good for you," Blaise said, shaking his head a little. "I've known you for most of my life and even I can't impersonate you that well."

Pansy finished her inspection, then stepped back in front of him. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, causing Draco to raise an eyebrow at her expression. Harry wasn't quite sure what happened, because the next moment he was being crushed much like the way the blonde teenager beside him had been earlier.

"Welcome to the family, Ry."

"Urm, thanks? But, _Ry_?" (A/N for clarification, it's pronounced Ree)

Pansy sent him a wicked smile as she pulled back and seated herself on one of the couches.

"What can I say, I couldn't be bothered to say Harry."

"Okay…but _Ry_?"

The Slythin's laughed, the atmosphere becoming more light-hearted as everyone else made themselves comfortable in the remaining spaces in the seats around the fire. They chatted about random things for a little while, thought the Slytherin's refused to let down their masks totally; Harry assumed they were just being cautious, and he had to admit he wasn't totally comfortable himself. The gang left not too long after arriving, realizing they only had around ten minutes to dash back to the common room before heading off to lessons.

Once the portrait door was shut firmly behind them, Harry let out a breath of relief. He flopped lazily down upon the couch, causing Draco to give a small smirk and roll his eyes.

"Who knew the Gryffindor Golden Boy could tire by _talking,_" the blonde drawled, sitting down on one of the chairs opposite, though his voice lacked its usual malice.

"Shove off, Malfoy," was the only reply the other teenager got, before the raven-haired boy let himself relax into the comfy material underneath him and felt his eyes droop.

DmHp

Tuesday morning, Harry woke up slowly, his thoughts rather confused and jumbled. He had had such a strange dream, about Draco being a veela and…

_Oh shit_, was the realization that struck, very suddenly and very hard. It wasn't a dream. Draco _was _a veela. Harry groaned softly into his pillow, not wanting to make the same mistake as yesterday and get out of bed. Who knew what the day would bring, but he was quite sure it couldn't bring whatever it was if he wasn't awake to receive it. Yes, that would work.

A knock at the door proved him wrong.

"Harry, are you awake yet?" Draco's voice drifted through the wooden door. "It's time for lunch."

"Lunch?"

"You've been asleep all morning; I decided not to wake you before figuring out whether or not you're a morning person."

Harry mumbled something, which Draco was sure contained a few curse words the dark haired boy had just invented.

The blonde poked his head through the door, raising on delicate eyebrow at the boy who had his face buried in a pillow and the duvet wrapped right around him still.

"I take it you're not then?"

Harry emitted a low growl, and Draco had to duck as one of Harry's pillows went flying towards his head. His soft chuckle of laughter faded away as he stepped out the door, and the dark haired teenager rolled over on his bed, perfectly fine with _not _getting up that morning – or afternoon; whatever it was at that point in time. He wanted nothing more than to snuggle safely down into the quilt and go back to sleep.

Harry frowned at that realization; all he ever seemed to be doing recently was sleeping. He brushed it off as a teenage thing, and with a sigh clambered groggily out of bed.

To try and wake himself up, Harry took a long, warm shower. Unfortunately, this seemed to have the opposite effect of what he would have liked; only making him more tired and still perfectly able to crawl happily back into bed. Growling in a frustrated manner under his breath, Harry quickly let the shower run cold, jumping out when it reached freezing point. Now shivering (and wanting nothing more to return to the warm cocoon under his quilt), Harry quickly dried and dressed in the nearest clothes he could find, coming to a stop in front of his mirror.

His hair was messy; as usual, and he his attempts to flatten it with his fingers failed miserably. His skin was pale, only a slight colour tinting his cheeks, although he didn't look sickly. He had grown a little over the summer, and his body had slightly thickened out so he no longer looked like a stick on legs. Giving a short sigh and checking the door was properly locked behind him, Harry pulled out his wand and began to remove some of the many charms that littered his body.

The difference was instantly noticeable, and Harry found himself shutting his eyes tightly so he didn't have to look at his reflection. However, knowing he needed to inspect the damage from the last summer the teenager slowly popped one eye open, followed shortly after by the other.

It wasn't, he decided, as bad as it had been before. His skin was ghostly white, and thin like parchment, stretched over his body like a body suit that was perhaps a size too small. His height declined a bit, though not dramatically, and his body thinned out again so his robes hung even more loosely off his frail frame. His lips were tinted slightly blue (Harry had never been sure how that had happened, but just accepted it as part of the after holiday look) and his eyes had a sunken, empty look.

Dark scars stood out vividly against the paleness of his arms, though all of them had healed a long time ago. A few fading bruises were scattered over his body, though they were very nearly gone. It was defiantly an improvement on last years back to school look, that was for sure.

At the end of his fifth year, his uncle had become abusive (Harry was quite sure he was taking out his marital and business problems on him) and after the loss of Sirius he had began to eat less and less at every meal. It wasn't long after that when he had started the self harm, the blood and pain serving as an escape, a form of release.

When he returned to school for his sixth year, Harry had been avoided by people for a great deal of time, and he found himself trapped in the habit of abusing his body whilst using some nifty charms to cover up the damage. However, eventually people had begun to pay attention again, to come and talk to him. They had coddled, kept asking if he wanted to talk, and in all honesty it was worse than them acting like he was about to explode any second or break like fragile glass and shatter broken pieces over them for them to collect and repair.

He _had _gotten past it though, telling himself it wasn't his fault, that he shouldn't give a damn what anyone else thought. No one noticed his change in attitude towards the world, towards his friends, his nature of hiding out in his room; they brushed it off as grieving.

Well, Harry had learnt to survive on his own, look after himself. He hadn't touched his blade since about two weeks before returning to school, and rarely used it anymore. It was used now a little like a fire exit, or an emergency escape when reality got too much for him. The blade was his faithful friend, always there to over comfort should he need it, and it had served him well.

Harry scowled slightly at his appearance, quickly replacing the charms again. Trying and failing to fix his hair once more, Harry walked out of the bathroom, still not ready to face that supposedly bright (though half way finished) day in front of him.

A/N Thank you to all reviewers and readers! Sorry again about spelling, but it's late and I just wanted to get this chapter done; so I didn't bother checking it over, sorry. I'll remember to check the next one, just bare with me! I hope you like the way this story is going, review please!

Edited; 26.05.2007


	5. Hiding

A/N – Yay, 5th chapter up! I wasn't really sure what should happen in this chapter, I don't to use up all my plot lines straight away so it took some time to work this one out. Thanks bunches to readers + reviewers, you guys are the best!

Again, apologies for spelling/grammar.

Enjoy!

Warning – slash, don't like don't read

Disclaimer – if I owned anything to do with Harry Potter other than this story I would be very, very, very, very rich and somewhere far away.

This chapter starts before the ending of the last, whilst Harry is still asleep in the morning on Tuesday. Hope it doesn't confuse you.

"blah" speech

'_blah' _thoughts

DmHp

Draco turned over the page of the book he was reading, glancing over at Harry's door for the fourth time in no more than fifteen minutes. He gave a short sigh, wondering why the teenager wasn't already awake, then looked back down at the page in front of him. He guessed Harry was just tired; the day before had not exactly been easy.

In all honesty, yesterday had gone better – if the word 'better' really described it – than he had expected. Draco had assumed that Harry would wake up for lunch, remember everything that had happened previously and suddenly go into a long rant, yelling and cursing – and possibly unintentionally causing an earthquake- before simply brooding for the rest of the day. It was quite funny that the dark haired boy had been pretty much fine with it. In fact, he had even defended Draco in front of his best friend when the red head had accused him of dark magic, and began to use his first name almost immediately.

The blonde wasn't, however, stupid enough to even contemplate it lasting for much longer; perhaps Harry had just been in shock yesterday, for quite a long time. No doubt he would wake up and remember everything, then change his mind and storm out the dorms.

Draco shook his head violently, willing himself to concentrate on the potions book in his lap. For a few minutes he sat in peace, the only sound being that of bird's gentle tunes gliding on the wind that swept in calmly through the open window.

It didn't last long. Then again, things very rarely went right for Draco, so why shouldn't his peaceful, quiet, none thought-provoking reading be interrupted?

"Oh Draco!"

Suppressing a groan, Draco looked up from his book and passed his mother a small smile. She closed the portrait door firmly behind her, then looked around.

"Where's Harry?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, already suspicious of his far-more-than-usual-chirpy-mother-who-was-never-usually-awake-at-such-an-ungodly-hour, who was now walking briskly down the length of the room.

"Why?"

"I want to take him clothes shopping,"

Draco rolled his eyes. He should have known, really.

"What, now?"

"Well, why not?"

"He's sleeping,"

"Oh."

Draco could've laughed; his mother actually looked disappointed, and was currently standing with her arms crossed and _pouting_. Only he didn't laugh, as a maniacal expression followed the pout as she turned to Harry's door and pulled out her wand.

"Don't you dare!" Draco cried, dropping his book and rushing to stand between his mother and the door. "I won't let you wake him,"

This time, as Narcissa pouted again, he did laugh.

"Oh, you're no fun," the woman mumbled, tucking away her wand. "I will get him later though," her face lit up as an idea struck.

"I know, I'll be along after classes and then Pansy can help! Oh, won't this be such fun?"

Draco pitied Harry greatly, already thinking of several protection spells to put in place on his door so he could hide in the comfort of his room when the two mad women came to do their bidding.

"I'll have to call in a different tailor, naturally, one who works afternoons, and I think I'll call in an accountant to sort out a new account for you both; can't have him thinking he'll pay for this kind of stuff, that just wouldn't do. Oh, and I'll talk to the house elves and we'll all sit and have a nice little dinner, won't that be fun? I'll invite Cecil, she's been wanting to see you for _such _a long time, and of course she has a lovely daughter; your age you know, and I think I'll bring along Pippa, she always did love clothe designing and she can bring your step-cousins along…maybe I should talk to Dumbledore about getting a bigger room…"

Draco watched his mum in disbelief as she began to plan the night ahead, wondering how anyone could turn a simple clothe buying session into a massive party with half the family invited.

"Mum!"

"Yes dear?"

"Perhaps for tonight it should just be the three of us for a meal, don't you think? Too many people might scare Harry a little, he's still just getting used to the idea…"

Narcissa's face fell a little, but she nodded in agreement. "Yes, alright, perhaps that is best for now. But I'm still bringing Pansy, Cecil and Pippa to help me with the clothes, we'll have so much fun…oh, I better go tell them, eh?"

And, just as quickly as she came, Narcissa left the room, leaving Draco standing in the area around Harry's room for several moments in a state of shock. Slowly shaking his head at his mother's strange ways, he softly knocked on the door to wake his mate up.

DmHp

After ducking the offending pillow and making sure Harry was indeed getting up as he claimed, Draco closed the door to the teenager's room and snapped his fingers to get the attention of a house elf. He ordered little, knowing the funny little creatures would most likely bring double of everything anyway, then picked up his potions book from where he had dropped it on the floor a little earlier that day.

Harry stepped out of his door about ten minutes later, fully clothed but definitely _not _fully awake or happy about it. Wondering what his reaction would be whilst in this current state, Draco decided to spill the news straight away.

"Pansy, mother and a few of her friends will be along later with a tailor to sort out new outfits for you."

"That's nice," Harry replied absentmindedly, yawning quietly as he stumbled across the room. Draco raised his eyebrows, smirking at the teenager who had managed to seat himself in a chair at the table.

"What?" Harry asked, catching the smirk. "What're you so happy about?"

"Oh, nothing," Draco replied, sitting opposite the teenager as the elves delivered the food. Quite suddenly, Harry dropped his head onto the table with a loud bang.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid," he mumbled, only just realizing what the blonde had said to him a few minutes before.

"Welcome back to reality, I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Shut it, you," Harry replied, lifting his head slightly to glare at the smirking blonde.

"Hey, at least you got a warning from me. When they did it to Blaise and Crabbe – those two weren't exactly badly dressed but Blaise really didn't give a damn about his appearance – my mother just swept into the room and bundled them out with Pansy following. I didn't see them for five and a half hours."

"_Five and a half hours?_"

"Yeah, they came back with full brand new wardrobes. Pansy was looking _so _pleased with herself, her smile was bloody blinding. And mother didn't complain at all about _anything _for three days straight! Apparently they had never had so much fun," Draco informed him, shovelling food onto his plate.

"Your mother sounds maniacal," Harry mumbled, spooning small portions of food onto his own plate that now took up the space where his head had been on the table.

Draco chuckled, chewing on his sausage. "Oh yes, she is."

Out in the hall several students jumped at the sound of the _bang _that came from something hitting wood, and the loud laughter that followed.

DmHp

"Oh Harrrrrrrrrrry!"

"Oh god, hide me, please, hide me!" Harry cried frantically, running into Draco's room as Narcissa and several other giggling people infected the teenagers' common room with their presence. Draco, who was sat on his bed reading through one of his essays, merely chuckled lightly at his mates' antics and pointed to his wardrobe.

Harry swung open the doors, eyes popping out at how large it was inside. It was like walking into a clothes shop, as the space in the wardrobe was more like a room stuffed full of clothes.

"How many clothes do you need?" Harry asked the boy behind him, though didn't bother waiting for a reply before he scrambled in and pulled the doors shut.

"Draco?" He could hear Narcissa enter Draco's room, and retreated a little further into the wardrobe/room.

"No mother, I don't have a clue where he is," Draco drawled, and Harry was sure he could _hear _the blonde rolling his eyes at the woman in front of her.

"He's lying, Cissy, to protect his mate. Harry's just hiding, I bet you!" That was Pansy's voice, and by the sounds of it she wasn't standing too far away from the wood surrounding him.

"But why is he hiding, we're here to help him!" Harry didn't recognize this voice, but it soft and gentle; not really what he had expected from Narcissa's friends.

"Perhaps our little Draco here has been telling him nasty stories about us," another new voice joined the conversation.

"I only told him about the time you lot captured Blaise and Crabbe for a make-over."

"Oh, such happy days, they were," his mother stated happily, and Harry was sure she was bouncing up and down grinning like an idiot.

"It was so much fun, they were the perfect candidates for our special service," Pansy agreed. Harry heard Draco snort and mumbled something, followed by the inevitable cry of "owe!" that signalled Pansy had hit him round the head for his comment.

"Well, this kid won't be much fun to transform if we can't find him."

"Well, come on then Dray, where've you hidden him?"

"Who said I've got anything to do with this?"

"I'll put you under a tickling charm," Pansy threatened.

"Oh please, is that really the best torture you can think of?"

"No, but it's all I can get away with in front of your mother."

"Oh no child, please, go ahead, do whatever you like," was Narcissa's reply.

"Oh no, mother!"

"Just tell us where Harry is and you won't have to suffer."

Harry crossed his fingers in the darkness, hoping Draco would just suffer and stick with it. It was cruel, he was sure, but he rather preferred Draco under a tickling charm than giving himself up to the clutches of four completely mad and fashion obsessed women.

"Cecil, what's that incantation for that pink hair charm you were using the other day?"

Harry swore under his breath, knowing that his time in safety was about to end. There was no way Draco would let them dye his hair pink when he could simply hand Harry over.

Sure enough, Draco's voice floated through the wood right on cue.

"He's in the bloody wardrobe, just don't touch my hair!"

Harry moaned as the doors were flung open dramatically, and Pansy dragged him out by the arm.

"Traitor," Harry glared at the blonde on the bed, shaking his arm free of Pansy's grip.

Draco shrugged, returning to his book "I don't care, I'd rather be that than have pink hair. You don't know what that girl can do with her magic."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Dray," Pansy replied, smiling sweetly at the teenager on the bed before rounding on Harry.

"How could you hide from us? Do you not want to go shopping or something?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms."Do I really have to answer that question?"

Pansy giggled a little, rolling her eyes at him.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad. Here, let me introduce you. This is Cecil, and this is Pippa. They're Cissy's friends,"

Harry shook hands with each of the ladies in turn, politely kissing the backs of their hands, causing them to blush and giggle and make Pansy gag behind them.

"Oh, such a charmer," Cecil spoke, moving a strand of her ebony coloured hair from her face. Her hair was curled in soft ringlets, and hung down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were a soft blue, and she wore a long, dark red dress with matching maroon robes over the top.

Pippa merely rolled her eyes, scanning the teenager up and down before nodding.

"Yes, you will be good for little Draco. Maybe he will take note of your manners, though I beg of you not to do that again, child. Neither sarcasm or polite sweetness will get you out of your fate to be dressed and re-dressed many times today."

Harry pulled a face, his plot to distract them discovered by the dark haired woman in front of him. Draco snorted from behind him on the bed.

"You should've known that one wouldn't work, you idiot. You should've tried being really rude, maybe then they wouldn't have wanted to be around you."

"Oh shush you, we never said we wouldn't colour your hair," Narcissa told her son, effectively causing him to obediently shut his mouth.

"Now then, we're just waiting for the tailor, and then we can begin. In the meantime, drinks anyone?"

DmHp

A/N phew, glad that's done. Okay, so this chapter is a little short, but please forgive me people!

Next chapter I'll do the shopping big, evil grin though I'm wondering just how much I should torture Harry…what do you think? Also, should I put him into leather…?

Review please!

Edited; 26-05-07


	6. Intuitive thoughts

A/N- yep, another week another chapter. sigh I've been getting exam results this week…it kinda' sucked! Anyway, this chapter took quite some time to write, so I haven't really grammar checked it etc…sorry guys! I hope you like this chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer; I do _not _own Harry Potter. If I did, trust me, the 6th book would have been _very, _incredibly different!

Warnings; slash, mentions of abuse, don't like then please don't read!

Speech "blah"

Thoughts '_blah'_

DmHp

'_I cannot believe this is happening. I. Cannot. Believe. This. Is. Happening. Draco Malfoy I am going to kill you!' _ At approximately 5:30 in the afternoon of a lovely, sunny Tuesday afternoon, the previous sentences seemed to be the only thoughts that could run through the very stressed mind of one Harry. J. Potter. Though, upon looking at his reflection in one of the many mirrors that lined the room, it was not really hard to see why.

Harry Potter, saviour of the entire wizarding world, for some strange and currently unknown reason, was standing upon a little wooden stool surrounded by a great deal of large mirrors, one strange brown haired man with a tape measure in his hand, one appreciative blonde male teenager and four very giggly women. But that wasn't the thing that any normal, regular, day to day type witch or wizard would find amusing about the current situation. No, no, not at all. The thing was, Harry Potter, saviour of the wizarding community, 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' (or, as some people preferred, 'The-Boy-Who-Just-Wouldn't-Blood-Die) was wearing _leather. _Tight leather. Tight black leather. Tight black leather trousers. Tight black leather trousers that clung snugly to _all _the 'right' areas and left very little to the imagination. Tight black leather trousers that clung snugly to _all_ the 'right' areas and left very little to the imagination that had studs on.

Needless to say, Harry Potter was scowling. Only, the effect was entirely lost on the occupants of the room, as it is very difficult to take a person seriously when they are trying to scowl menacingly whilst blushing crimson red and trying to shift into a none-awkward position. Harry groaned in his head, trying to force out the memory of how this situation occurred.

_Flashback_

_A soft tapping sounded at the portrait door, and Narcissa grinned widely before telling the portrait to let whoever it was in. Of course, she knew who it was. And, judging by the terrified look on Harry's face, he did to. _

_The portrait door swung open, and in stepped a middle-aged man in dressy dark green robes, carrying a brown leather brief-case in hand. He looked around the room with a seemingly thoughtful look, then spotted Narcissa._

"_Ah, my lady, it's nice to finally be able to serve you again." _

_Narcissa gave a small giggle as the man took hold of her hand and placed a short kiss against the smooth skin that covered her fragile bones. _

"_Oh, stop it you," she said, swatting him away "you always were such a charmer."_

_Draco raised his eyebrows at his mother who merely smiled sweetly at him before turning to do business with the man in front of her. Soon, all the furniture had been pushed up against the walls and a small wooden stool was standing in the middle of the room. The man began to pull things out of this brief-case and soon the stool was encased by a dozen full length mirrors whilst racks of many different robes and other items of clothing filled the other space in the room. _

"_Now then, Isaac, you remember Cecil, Pippa and darling little Pansy?" The man nodded in greeting to each of the mention women in turn. _

"_And of course, my son Draco." _

_Draco narrowed his eyes at the man, not excepting the hand held out to him._

"_I remember you," the blonde teenager said, a scowl forming on his face "you're the man that convinced my mother I would look absolutely charming in formal robes."_

"_What's so bad about that?" Harry asked, missing Isaac's smirk._

"_They were pink."_

_Narcissa laughed at her son's statement, rolling her eyes. The man pretended to look thoughtful for a moment, then, sure enough, a grin slowly managed to sneak onto his face. _

"_Oh, you're __**that **__Draco. Well, I must say, I was correct, was I not? You looked positively adorable. Why, the last time I saw you, you were only so big!" Isaac used his hand to illustrate the teenager's previous height, causing Draco's scowl to deepen. Pansy laughed at him, giving him a light punch on the arm. _

"_Oh come on, Dray, I remember those robes. They __**did **__look nice."_

"_Yeah, I bet you looked just like your mother did when she was a kid."_

_Narcissa burst out laughing at Harry's statement, and Draco spun around angrily to face his grinning mate. _

"_That was payback, dearest, for you being a traitor," Harry said, still smiling. "I don't suppose you have any photos of it, Narcissa?" _

_Draco's mother shook her head sadly, beginning to wish she had thought more at the time before Draco had had the chance to whip out his wand and incinerate the items. _

"_Aren't you forgetting the main reason Isaac is here, mother? I do believe you have some clothe designing to do. " Draco passed a small smirk to his now growling mate, then gave Harry a small push forward. _

"_Ah, yes, of course. Isaac, meet Harry Potter; you're model for the day."_

_The man grinned at Harry, enthusiastically shaking the boy's hand. "Ah, a pleasure, Mr .Potter, I'm sure. Well, you were right to call me, Narcissa, I can see I've got my work cut out today; but I've never failed you yet."_

_Isaac began studying Harry's attire critically, occasionally muttering things to himself or flicking his wand and making a quill beside him take notes on a piece of parchment._

"_Yes, yes, I'm quite sure I know what to do. Now then, Mr. Potter, if you would like to step up onto the stool, I do believe we can begin." _

_By this time, Isaac had a knowing smile on his face, and Narcissa was grinning madly in a way which made Harry positive he wouldn't be alive in an hour or so. Pansy was already searching through the racks of robes, pulling out a few random items and putting them to one side. Cecil and Pippa seemed to be in a deep discussion about how it was horrific that teenagers such as Harry were deprived of any fashion sense, and about how if they were running the school every student would receive lessons and free shopping trips._

_Harry gave a sigh of despair, vaguely wondering if he could jump out a window. He noticed the portrait door was blocked by the clothes on the rails, and the windows were pretty much the suicide option. Although, the bathroom was just behind him…_

_Cursing his treacherous body as he suddenly and inexplicably found himself stepping forward, the teenager soon found himself standing on the little wooden stool holding his arms out on either side as Isaac took the many measurements needed. _

"_Well now, Mrs. Black, what sort of thing would you like for the teenager?"_

"_You know, Cissy, I do believe an entire new wardrobe is in order," Pippa stated, folding her arms. "The boy doesn't have a single proper item of clothing in his wardrobe that's not a school robe. I say new uniform, dress robes, winter robes, summer robes, casual wear, muggle smart wear, muggle casual wear, casual robes…"_

"_Excuse me, who's paying for all this? I know I'm a Potter, but that doesn't mean I can afford an entire wardrobe! I want money for later in life you know."_

_Draco raised his eyebrows at Harry's outburst, smirking slightly at the teenager who now stood with his arms crossed defiantly on the stool. _

"_Don't be so silly, Harry." Draco drawled, rolling his eyes "firstly, the Potter's own several vaults of money. The one you have the key to is just your parents vault. Being the only heir to the Potter heritage, you should have about three other vaults, not including the ones containing precious items and books etc. Secondly, who said you're paying?"_

"_Okay, whoa, hold up there," Harry said, holding up a hand to stop the blonde. _

"_First of all, what the hell? Since when did I have that much money and how come I never knew? Secondly, of course I'm paying for it."_

"_Don't be so silly, deary. We're paying for it. And as for your vaults…well, in all honesty, you should have been told about them already; you should have had knowledge of their existence along time ago, and been given the key on your seventeenth birthday…" _

_Narcissa furrowed her eye-brows as she spoke, indicating she was going into deep thought. She made eye contact with her son, who gave a small nod from behind Harry indicating he was thinking the same thing. Dumbledore was up to something. Narcissa didn't let her worry or confusion show any longer, immediately plastering a big smile on her face and clapping her hands together. _

"_Well, let's get on with then, shall we? A full wardrobe then, Isaac, if you will, and we'll have to try out those new boots of yours to…"_

"_But you said you're paying for it." _

_Narcissa nodded affirmative. "Of course we are."_

"_I refuse." _

"_Excuse me?" It was Cecil who spoke this time, not even bothering to keep the confusion from her expression "Most people would be ecstatic about receiving an entire new wardrobe free of charge."_

"_I refuse to let them spend that amount of money on me." _

"_Mother did the same with Crabbe and Blaise-…" _

"_I don't care!" Harry interrupted the blonde, his voice rising slightly as he argued with the Malfoys' "I do not need nor wish your charity." _

_Narcissa's eyebrows shot above her hair line at the statement, once again meeting the suspicious gaze of her son. "It's not charity, Harry. You are practically family; our money is your money after all."_

_Harry narrowed his eyes, intent on being stubborn. "I don't care. Until Draco and I are bonded family has nothing to do with it."_

"_Are you saying you do not wish to join the Malfoy family?" Pansy retaliated, scowling darkly. _

_Harry let out a long breath slowly, running a hand through his already messy hair. He was tired, and he could feel his magic wavering. He mentally slapped himself, telling himself that he needed to stay alert and in control of his magic. If his glamour slipped at a time like this…Harry promised himself to get a _very _good nights sleep that night, deciding he could use the rest._

"_That's not what I said, and defiantly not what I meant." _

"_Perhaps I may be allowed to provide my opinion in regards to this argument?"_

"_Pippa?" Narcissa nodded at the woman who had otherwise been silent throughout the argument "Of course, you needn't ask."_

"_It is my personal opinion that young Mr. Potter does not wish to be spoilt in even the slightest way as he is not used to being cared about at all. Is that not so, Mr. Potter?"_

_Harry shook his head, inwardly kicking himself. Great, now he'd gotten them suspicious. It was odd though, no one had ever objected to him refusing to accept gifts and money…perhaps, just perhaps, he would have to be more careful whilst in Slytherin company of any kind; it seemed they were much more perceptive then the Lions of Gryffindor he was used to. _

"_Not even in the slightest," Harry replied, shaking his head "I merely do not wish for money to be wasted on such a cause when I obviously have adequate funds." _

_Draco bit his bottom lip, a nervous habit from his childhood. He had never seen anyone – not even his own father – slip so easily into – not to mention maintain for such a long a period - such a perfect mask as the one Harry was now displaying; perfectly unreadable, portraying his well being and feeling of content. He wondered if the teenager had been using it for a while, most likely on the unsuspecting Lions. Draco had to admit, he himself would probably not have noticed had he not been such a master at masks himself. One did not gain the title of Ice Prince of Slytherin by portraying such emotion as happiness or pity, and defiantly not sadness or remorse. _

_Realizing this one act that Harry was putting on would be hard to see through, the blonde decided to try a different tact._

"_Harry, it was you who objected to spending the money in the first place."_

_Harry didn't miss a beat. "That was before I found out just how much money I am in possession of." _

_Draco didn't believe a word of it, and one glance at the women's faces told him they didn't either. He gave a short nod, then smiled happily. _

"_All right, I'll make a deal with you. We pay for your clothes, on the condition that you do something in return."_

_Harry narrowed his eyes, defiantly not ready to trust the teenager he had been battling with for the last six years. _

"_What kind of condition?" _

_Draco's smile widened, turning into a smirk as it went. _

"_Oh, I don't know…only, mother, I think that leather is very 'in' this year, don't you?"_

And so there stood one Harry James Potter in tight black leather trousers that clung snugly to _all_ the 'right' areas and left very little to the imagination that had studs on. He was going to kill Draco Malfoy, and all his blasted relatives and friends of the family to.

Narcissa clapped her hands together happily, and Pansy tried to stifle her thrilled giggles behind her hand; failing, of course, miserably.

"I'm going to kill you, Malfoy," Harry threatened through gritted teeth, crossing his arms over his chest. "I cannot believe you want me to buy them."

"Oh, but deary, I think they look simply splendid on you! They fit perfectly, and are well made. I do believe our little Dracy made a good choice," Cecil retorted, causing Pansy to give in and burst out laughing at the knick-name.

Both male teenagers scowled, causing Pippa to roll her eyes.

"Stop arguing children, I would prefer to not have to spend the rest of the evening cleaning up the blood."

"Oh, but we could always get the house-elves to do it," Narcissa replied, giving her a small nudge. "It'll be so much fun; 'battle to the death'. We could advertise, create a stage, get in an audience…we could make a lot of money!"

"Hush dear, I just had a flash of inspiration," Pippa shushed the other woman, stepping towards Harry who automatically stepped off the stool to get away from her. The woman cocked her head to one side as she thought, gave a short nod and then turned to Isaac.

"Isaac, I want to create a shirt to finish this outfit; avoid the colours emerald, forest green, red, silver and gold. Aim for classy but casual, sleek elegance."

Isaac stood pondering for a moment, before flicking his wand a few times. Different lengths of material gathered in front of him, and he began to mix and match fabrics with colours.

An inch thick piece of dark blue satin wound its way around Harry's chest (who had, much to his shock and dismay, suddenly become topless with a flick of Isaac's wand; causing Pansy to giggle and Draco to whistle appreciatively before scowling at the realization everyone was staring at _his _mate) and expanded quickly all directions, wrapping its way around Harry's torso and arms like cord before seamlessly joining together. The result was a loose, dark blue shirt, with three-quarter length sleeves that ended just below the elbow and ebony buttons.

Pippa shook her head slightly, and Isaac obediently flicked his wand and chanted a few charms. The satin changed into soft cotton, and the colour brightened by several shades. Cecil raised her eyebrows, muttering something to Pippa who nodded in agreement.

Harry watched with mixed feelings of curiosity and suspicion as Pippa passed the message onto Isaac, who thought for a moment before casting another charm. The shirt turned a dark purple colour, and the buttons turned the dark blue that the shirt had previously been. Pippa nodded in improvement, and Pansy gave him a smile. That was only one little part of this whole experience over with, he just knew it.

Several hours later Isaac finally left with the completed order form, promising the first load of clothing would be ready in about a week, complete with a range of protection charms which Narcissa had secretly asked him to add to each outfit.

After eating, Harry had retired pretty much immediately to bed, shutting himself in his room and claiming he was just a little tired. Cecil, Pippa, Narcissa, Pansy and Draco watched him as he left the room, and when his door finally clicked shut let out a joint sigh.

"Something's going on with him," Pippa stated, taking a sip of some wine one of the elves had brought along. "It only takes a few minutes of his company to recognize that."

"The Gryffindor lot are a bunch of ignorant idiots, that's for sure. He's lived with them for six years, hung around with them almost every day of every year; and they've noticed nothing?"

"The poor child," Narcissa murmured, causing everyone's attention to switch immediately to her "the hero, the saviour of both worlds. The boy is seventeen. _Seventeen_. I wonder what ideas the old fool has imprinted into his darling little mind…"

No one on the table had to ask who the old fool was; there wasn't a single person in present company that liked Dumbledore; he was an idiot old man who loved to think everyone was good. If given a chance, he would probably try to reform the Dark Lord himself into a good little law-abiding citizen. The idea was laughable, but sadly true. He had Harry twisted around his little finger, keeping him on a tight lead so he couldn't rebel or run away. The teenager was being manipulated for Dumbledore's own uses, there was no point in denying it.

"Mother…"

"Yes, Draco?"

"Well, I was wondering, is there any chance that the lights in here are faulty?"

"No, not at all. What made you ask a thing like that?"

Draco looked as though he was contemplating some deep, inner thoughts for a moment or to, before shaking his head.

"It was probably my imagination."

"You should know after living with Lucius for all those years that the imagination is an excuse to try and fool you into believing something real never in fact happened. What did you notice?"

"Harry…he was flickering."

A/N; sigh, that was hard. I'm really tired, I can't believe I've stayed up so late just to complete this. Well, enjoy, and don't forget to leave a review!

Edited; 30-05-07


	7. Searing hot trails of truth

A/N yay me! This is the seventh chapter! Cool, I hope everyone is enjoying it so far! Anyway, I want to thank _every single reviewer _that has ever left me a review; you guys are all great! I love coming in from a long day at school, checking my emails and finding my inbox full of reviews, it brightens the entire day, so thanks! And thank you to all the readers as well; this story has achieved 12149 hits, so I hope you've all enjoyed it and will continue to do so.

_Important note; _ There were a few mistakes with regards to the timing in the last few chapters, which have been corrected now but are still confusing none-the-less. So, just to let you know, this chapter is Tuesday evening going into Wednesday, and Harry and Draco first entered the room Monday. Got it? Good, sorry for the mistake.

Disclaimer; Well, consider this scenario; see a massive house, Edwardian mansion style, built in a remote but beautiful area of emerald pastures and countryside. See inside the house, luxurious rooms, golden walls. Veer to the left, see a big fuck off library, with a lone figure (that's me!) sitting inside, content in my world of paradise. Is it real? Nope, then I don't own Harry Potter (pity that)

Warnings; language probably unsuitable for innocent ears, slash, mentions of abuse…if you don't like it, then common sense says don't read it.

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah'_

DmHp

Harry closed the door to his bedroom with a soft click, sighing in relief he leaned against it. Taking a few deep breaths, Harry finally gathered the energy to stand upright without falling over and stepped away from the supportive wood of the door, taking a tentative step forward.

He had been telling the truth, back when everyone was eating. He really _was _tired, that really was the reason he wanted to sleep. He was just so exhausted…although, upon reflection, he had no reason to be. Harry shook his head slightly, taking another step and gladly finding he didn't even sway that time. He could hear the others talking about him around the table, and felt a pang of, well, something, in his stomach. He scowled, searching around on the floor for his pyjamas; where the hell had he dumped them earlier than morning anyway? As far as he was concerned, they could talk about him all they wanted, it wasn't like it'd do anyone any good – or harm for that matter. What could come from it?

Although, he reflected, thinking back to earlier that day, he wouldn't be surprised if Pippa knew something she probably shouldn't. That woman; there was something about her. She was intuitive, that was for sure. Where had that speech come from anyway? _It is my personal opinion that young Mr. Potter does not wish to be spoilt in even the slightest way as he is not used to being cared about at all. Is that not so, Mr. Potter? _Where the hell had that come from? The woman was delving too greatly into his life, trying to decipher how his mind worked by what he did and said.

'_Well, what the hell does she know anyway? Let her fucking try to figure me out all she wants, she won't get bloody far,'_ or so he hoped, anyway.

Harry practically ripped his t-shirt off his body, jamming his arms into the sleeves of his night-shirt he had finally found hiding under a few of his books that he couldn't even remember getting out of his trunk. '_Maybe she won't dwell on it, anyway. She probably has better things to do._' Yeah, that was right. Who would give a damn about some scrawny little teenager anyway?

DmHp

Wednesday, the second – well, third actually, only Monday didn't count as the raven haired boy in question spent pretty much the whole day sleeping – day Harry spent living in a dorm with Malfoy (or was it Draco? Harry wasn't really sure anymore, although he did seem to be calling the blonde Draco now) awoke Harry early by means of a rather annoying ringing in his ears. The teenager rolled over in his bed, pulling the covers tighter around him defiantly in an attempt to get the message across that he was in no way, shape or form ready to get up and face yet another day.

Monday had been; well, how could he describe it? It had been eventful, to say the least. It wasn't everyday he woke up, went to a meeting with the headmaster and not only found out that his worst enemy was in fact a veela but that he was said enemies mate. Not only that, he and Draco (oh, so it _was _Draco) had gotten along fine since. Not one argument.

Tuesday had been boring, during school hours at least. The two boys had kept out of each other's way, mostly working on the first load of homework from the previous week and trying not to dwell too much on their current situation. The evening had been…shocking, terrifying, humiliating; all were good words to describe Tuesday evening. However, none of them _quite _managed to cover just how terrible it had been; _leather_, of all things.

And, other than that spat with Ron, the two days had actually been pretty enjoyable and relatively nice experiences. That was the reason Harry was now refusing to wake up, quite content in his peaceful slumber. Fate was going to start messing around with him again soon, he just knew it. The gods would get bored of being nice to him, deciding to play a fun game instead and screw around with the teenager's life. Well, they couldn't fuck it up for him if he didn't get out of bed and give them a chance in the first place. It just was _not _going to happen. They had stuck him in that predicament, alone with Draco and living with him for the rest of the year, they could suffer the consequences and be bored for the rest of eternity.

The annoying ringing thing, whatever the hell it was, seemed to have other ideas though, continuing to ring and paying no attention whatsoever to the little fact the Harry did not _want _to get up. Instead, it kept ringing, assuming that pissing him off was a good way to make it through the next few minutes.

Harry rolled over again, shoving a pillow over his head. No way, he was _not _getting up. He refused. He was rebelling. He would _not _get up, he would _not _be played with and he would not let some higher being ruin his life.

The ringing thing, however, was still blissfully ignoring his protests, happily ringing to its heart's – if whatever it was had one – content. A few minutes later, the ringing stopped when a small, black object was thrown across the room and shattered on the wall opposite Harry's bed.

Harry winced at the sound the cracking sound as the object broke, then fell with a thud to the floor. It bounced, he noted, three times along the floor and also rolled a little way before ringing one last time in a rather off pitch key and fading out of existence.

Harry gave a sigh, locating his wand on his bedside table and casting a quick charm to repair the alarm clock; though he left it in its place on the floor to teach it a lesson for disturbing his sleep. Replacing his wand and rolling over again, Harry tried yet again to ignore the now highly irate Wednesday morning that was knocking at the door.

The dark haired teenager realized with a jolt that someone _was _knocking at his door. Growling, he scrambled out of bed, grabbing his glasses before opening it with a sigh.

"What?"

It was Draco, though he should have expected it. The blonde was already dressed, looking as elegant as ever in a pair of plain black jeans and dark blue t-shirt with three quarter length sleeves.

"Oh, being lazy are we?" Draco drawled, rolling his eyes at how it was quite obvious Harry had only _just _gotten out of bed; thought, his tone was more playful, a jest not a jibe.

"Was there something you wanted, Malfoy?" Oh, so it was back it Malfoy was it? Draco seemed to notice it to, a slightly puzzled and – what was that, disappointed? – expression passing quickly over his face before vanishing from existence. Harry might have caught it, had he been paying attention. It also would have helped if he had had his eyes open at the time. However, still being incredibly tired and definitely not in the mood to be joking around at half eight in the morning, the dark haired teenager was currently leaning against the frame of the door with his arms folded and his eyes firmly shut.

"So sorry to wake you," Malfoy drawled, not really sure where he stood with Harry at that moment in time, though his voice still held no hint of malice "but we're getting a visitor in around an hour; you know, those veela lessons and stuff? Well, someone's coming to teach us and you, surprisingly enough, have to be awake and in attendance to them."

"Right, got it," Harry replied, using his hand to cover his yawn "no more sleep for me then, 'aye?" He turned to go back into his room, but stopped as Draco reached out and caught his arm.

"Hey, Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry asked, turning back and yawning again. His day was going to get worse, he just knew it. Then again, with everything else that had gone on that week, he wasn't really surprised.

"Any particular reason as to why you're so tired?"

Harry shrugged, trying to blink away the sleep that was trying to invade again.

"Dunno'," was his simple, lazy reply, barely even registering that Draco hadn't let go of his arm, and the blonde's hand had 'slipped' further down his arm so they were almost holding hands "probably just the stress of being back at school, you know? I'll be fine; I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing. Nothing at all."

As Harry pulled away and shut the door to his room, Draco figured that the other teenager probably needed to glance in a mirror before saying that.

DmHp

Splashing the cold water against his face, Harry grudgingly looked up at the mirror above the sink. _'Oh shit,'_ was his first reaction. Had he really stood and spoken to Draco looking like _that_? His glamour charm had, quite luckily, stayed in place, but it did nothing more than hide the scars and bruises littering his body. That is to say, it did nothing to hide how his baggy clothes hung loosely from his thin frame, or the dark circles underneath is eyes. His hair was matted from his restless night sleep and, in short, he really did look like shit.

Harry uttered a soft curse, pulling off his night wear before slipping into the shower, letting the water heat up far past the comfortable level, each droplet leaving a trail of searing pain as it cascaded gracefully down his body.

He banged his head against the wall, closing his eyes to stop the water rendering him blind with their heat. The shock of the past few days suddenly hit him full force, just like a surfer being toppled over and drowned in a particularly harsh wave. The teenager groaned, sliding backwards down the opposite wall under the waterfall from the shower. He drew his knees up to his chest then laid his head upon them, his hands over the back of his head to protect it from the harsh pounding of each water droplet.

He was really stuck in this for life. Draco – the boy who, just days before, had only ever been called 'Malfoy' – was a veela, and Harry – said veela's worst enemy – was his mate for life. They were stuck living with each other, would eventually mate and could never take another partner. If one died, the other would most likely follow soon after.

That, in summary, was his life from that moment onwards. He was destined to live his life with Draco Malfoy, fall in love with him, mate with him and then live happily ever after, most likely destroying the dark lord with the power of love on the way.

Harry snorted. Yes, because that was ever going to happen. One thing was for sure; it didn't look like he had a choice anymore. He didn't get a chance at anything; it was a case of fall in love with Draco or don't fall in love at all. If he rejected Draco, there was a strong chance the blonde would die; Harry loathed the part of him that refused to let that happen. Hermione had been right, he _did _have a hero complex, and it was currently telling him to put up with it to save the Slytherin.

Then there was the whole veela's mate being the 'chosen', the soul mate, the true love. Did that mean that if he _did _fall in love with Draco it was all just some damn spell? If Draco hadn't been a veela, would he still have fallen in love? And if Draco _did _claim to love Harry in the near future, then who was to say that wasn't just his stupid veela side taking over, lusting after his 'mate'.

And then, there was this whole bonding thing. They would rarely be separated, attached at the hip, in need of almost constant contact. Harry didn't know if he could cope; he didn't like relying on anyone so heavily, and even if he could…there was still this whole Voldermort thing.

Harry growled under his breath, running a hand through his sopping wet hair. That bastard was tending to rule his whole bloody life; if he ever found out about Draco and him…and if he knew that the couple would be particularly vulnerable when separated, especially once they had bonded…well, who knew what the insane murderer would do and plot as his downfall. Draco would be a weak point, and that's where Voldermort would strike.

Draco, the stupid veela idiot who couldn't have just gone and found some bloody blonde Slytherin as his mate, was in danger just by being near him. The two, over the last few days, had grown to the level of at least being friends, and Harry knew he wouldn't resist any advances the other teenager made in the future; though he was sure Draco would try and ease them into a relationship as gently and slowly as he could.

Then again, how could Harry be sure that this wasn't just another one of Voldermort's annoying schemes anyway; a plot to trick the raven haired teenager and fuck around with is life before Draco finally handed him over to the Dark Lord himself. How could Harry be sure that this new and surprisingly nice Draco wasn't just some mask that the Slytherin was wearing; how could he be sure that the blonde wasn't just a bloody brilliant actor? And how, how the fuck would he ever be sure that any feelings the couple came to harbour were real?

Harry lifted his head a little, wiping his hair out of his eyes and in the process knocking away some of the almost invisible tears that had begun to mingle with the still boiling water from the shower head above him. This was insane, this entire thing. Someone out there was really fucking around with him, it just had to be some sort of sick joke.

Maybe…maybe Harry could convince Draco he didn't want him, without outright rejecting him. Maybe he could convince the blonde to not like him, make him think that the dark haired Gryffindor was really a self-righteous prick, not deserving of his time.

Then again, what reason was there for Draco to like Harry anyway? They had been enemies for so long, and Harry came with a lot of hefty baggage that would only cause complications. Sure, it was said that veela's couldn't chose who their mates were, but still; Narcissa had managed all those years without a mate and Draco was even less of a veela than she had ever been so why couldn't he do the same? There had to be a way to push the other teenager away, and quickly before he became too entangled into Harry's wreck of a life, into the ways of his retched world.

Harry didn't deserve him. Draco had to see that, before it got him killed.

Harry slowly stood up, his hands leaning against the sides of the shower for support. He turned the water off, then slid the shower door open, shivering as a wave of cold air hit his raw, red skin that was almost blistering from the intensity of the heat it had been subjected to. He performed a quick drying charm, dressing mechanically in the clothes he had brought with him into their joint bathroom. He glanced over his shoulder at the mirror, locking eyes with his reflection and giving a short nod. Yes, he had to push the other teenager away, before he began to drown. This, he reasoned with his hero complex, would save the blonde from the impending death that seemed to follow all of his close friends around.

Harry hadn't been able to save Ron and Hermione, and realized too late that hanging around with them would undoubtedly bring them close to death, but he'd be damned if he didn't do his best to save the teenager he was all too soon growing to like just a little too much.

DmHp

Draco watched with a pensive look on his face as Harry came out of the bathroom, his eyes widening slightly as he saw Harry's burning red skin and determined expression. Neither teenager said anything as Harry joined the blonde at the table and poured himself a drink, not bothering to put the food he knew he wouldn't eat onto his plate.

Draco bit his lip a little, letting a mask fall over his face. If Harry was going to act all stony and cold, fuck everyone who thought he was going to be gentle and compassionate with the brooding teenager.

However, behind the cold façade his face was sporting, Draco began to panic. What if Harry had woken up that morning and finally realized just what the hell he was doing, just what the hell he was risking by being with him? What if the dark haired teenager had remembered his hatred of the blonde, what if he had decided he didn't want any part in Draco's life anymore?

It was hard to admit; after all, Draco had only spent two days in his company, but he was already beginning to like Harry perhaps just a little more than he should. They had progressed from enemies to the friendship level, but perhaps Harry had suddenly decided he couldn't forgive him for those last six years and didn't want to continue getting to know each other.

Draco gave a small sigh, hoping he was just being bloody stupid. Harry was probably just tired, that was all.

Later that day, the blonde found himself cursing whichever God had decided to go and prove him wrong.

DmHp

A/N; phew, glad that's done. Yes, sorry people, Harry really is going through a bloody idiotic stage at the moment. I'm not really sure how many chapters he'll be dark-ish for, or how they'll make up, but prepare yourself for a few arguments starting in the next chapter!

If you review and tell me what you think, I may not hurt the couple too bad! Who knows, they might make up with a kiss…if you're lucky!

Review please, I'd like to know what you think!

Edited; 30-05-07


	8. Restless nights and peaceful slumber

A/N – YAY! I'm so happy, I've got over 100 reviews! Thank you to all my reviewers, and all the readers that have stuck with the story this far! Here, you may all have a cookie!

Anyway, I'm off school today, so I thought hey, what the hell, let's sit and write some more of my story! Therefore, I'm blaming all my mistakes etc etc etc on my crappy bug or whatever the hell it is that I currently have. Enjoy!

Disclaimer; Nope, I do not own a single part of this story…well, except all the twists and turns to the story line which are all mine! evil cackle anyway…

Warnings; Language which you've all most likely heard/read before but are inclined to read again, slash big grin, mentions of abuse/self harm…you know the drill, don't like then don't read. But those who do like then go ahead, the story's all yours!

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_'.

DmHp

Many tense and stiflingly silent minutes later, the portrait swung open and a figure swept in with the air of someone who had been spending too much time with Snape, a dark purple hood pulled high over their head to cover all facial features. Without saying anything in greeting, the person entered their living room, conjuring a large desk in front of the two at the other end of the room (which were turned around to face the main desk). The person then set a rather small bag down on the desk and proceeded to pull out of it things which Harry was sure should _not _have fitted into that bag; then he realized with faint embarrassment that the person had probably cast a charm on the inside of the bag.

After setting up the desk (the dark oak wood was now covered in stacks of clean parchment, quills, inks and many books as well as a few models and a little photo which was facing away from them) the figure finally removed their cloak, tossing silky platinum-blonde hair over her shoulder as she did so.

The woman, looking to be in her mid-twenties, glanced over at the two teenagers who were still sitting at the dining table in various states of shock, and raised one delicate eyebrow in a way which reminded Harry very much of the Malfoy Veela sitting across from him. The woman's silvery grey eyes hardened when she saw they weren't moving, and she placed her hands on her hips.

"Well? Are you going to sit there all day gawking or are you actually going to move at some point?" she snapped, her light and airy voice sounding harsh with the bite she added into it.

Draco stood immediately, though with a look of reluctance over his face, and moved towards the woman; though Harry remained seated.

"Hello, Tracy. And to think, we were expecting a professional."

The woman – Tracy – let her gaze fall over Draco, her eyes instantly softening.

"I see you've managed to retain your cheek, you little brat. I was wondering when your mother would be in need of my assistance, but I did think you would have grown a little more by that time."

Draco scowled at her, folding his arms across his chest in mock anger. Draco shorter than the woman in front of him, though by Harry's standards it was _her _that was too tall, not Draco that was too short. Of course, Harry was shorter than Draco, so who was he to talk?

Though, for some strange reason that Harry couldn't quite figure out, the next minute the two were hugging. Harry couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at them, completely ignoring the pang of jealousy rising in his chest.

"Okay, well, I for one would like to know how you (here he pointed at Draco who had just stepped back from Tracy's embrace) know her (he pointed at the woman, not managing to hold back a small scowl) and just what the hell is going on anyway?"

Draco turned to look at his mate, not missing the jealous scowl that lingered on his face. He sent a small smirk at Tracy, who had also noticed it and was grinning cheekily at the blonde teenager, then motioned for his mate to come forward. Harry narrowed his eyes at the other teenager, receiving a raised eyebrow as a reply, then gave an almost inaudible sigh and stood up, moving to stand beside his mate.

"Tracy, meet my mate, Harry Potter. Harry meet Tracy Zabini."

"Zabini?" Harry questioned, not excepting the offered hand to shake. The woman narrowed her eyes at this, and Harry ignored the shocked expression from Draco, letting an emotionless mask fall over his face. He wasn't as good with masks as the other teenager beside him, but he could construct a simple one to hide an expression.

It probably was, really, rather rude of him to ignore the woman's offer to shake hands, just as his question was probably slightly rude as well. However, seeing as he was supposed to be putting Draco off the idea of liking him, he figured that included everybody else to.

DmHp

Draco was, in truth, stunned at Harry's behaviour. Usually he was so polite and formal, trying to please everybody…just what the hell had happened?

"Ah…yes, she married Blaises' elder brother a few months back," he answered Harry's question, brushing his hand lightly against Harry's to try and calm him in a reassuring manner. To his confusion – and disappointment – Harry edged away a little, shooting another question at the woman to cover up his movement.

"Were you a Malfoy before?"

"And just what makes you ask that?"

"You have platinum blonde hair, you have silver-grey eyes and you raise your eyebrows and smirk in a very Malfoyish way. How could you not be?"

Tracy nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Well, I guess you would think I was – and I was - , but I wasn't, not really."

"That doesn't make sense."

"I'm illegitimate."

Harry's eyebrows shot above his hairline, his eyes wide in shock though he did manage to hide it pretty well after a moment or two.

"Oh?" he tried to stop the corners of his mouth from rising into a smirk. "Well, well, well, to think you always bragged about your family being a pure bloodline, Malfoy. Okay then, which Malfoy went outside the ring?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

Harry had a hard time remembering that his bottom lip should, whilst not speaking, remain in contact with his top one. He also had a hard time remembering that no, his jaw did not have a magnet in it, and no, there wasn't one in the floor either.

"You're his half sister?" Harry asked in disbelief, pointing at Draco. The two relatives nodded in unison, Draco sporting a sour frown.

"Mother and I only found out a few years back, but father did some foolish messing about as a teenager – quite a young teenager mind – and managed to get some poor muggle-born girl knocked up. Tracy turned up looking for her father after her real mother died; my mother threw a fit. But, when Lucius tried to throw her out the house, mother defended her. Lucius got so angry, but mother told him that under no circumstances was she throwing a young woman such as Tracy out of the house when she had no where to go. So, we took her in. She moved into a flat nearby not long after, but we've been on good terms ever since. Mother loves her, always wanted more children. Only Lucius is displeased with the arrangements, though we don't really give a damn anymore. She now works for the ministry, in the some department about creatures and animals and laws and shit like that."

Harry made a mental note that that was one more 'present' he owed Lucius upon their next meeting. He wondered vaguely whether to go for a hex or a curse, then decided he would settle it closer to the time depending on his mood come confrontation day.

The dark haired teenager didn't really know what to say, so simply nodded instead. Well, at least that story explained why Tracy's and Draco's facial features were nothing alike; Tracy had a soft complexion, - more milky cream than white - and a soft jaw-line. None of her features were overly sharp, and even her eyes looked more pleasant than a normal Malfoy's. Although, upon comparing her to Draco, Harry had no problem deciding that it was the male Malfoy that was the most beautiful.

'_No way, I did not just think that!_' Harry screamed inside his head, mentally scolding himself. '_God, anyone would think I was starting to fancy him or something! Thank god I know better than that; it's probably just the fact that I'm tired.'_

Even in his head Harry knew his last statement sounded rather pathetic.

DmHp

Harry glanced down at his watch, then back at his notes. They had been in this lesson for almost an hour now, he and Draco sitting at their desks and Tracy sitting at hers in front of them. She had given a short lecture, a list of books to read in their own time which could be found in their personal library, and was currently mentioning something about Veela laws that went along the lines of 'Veela's are permitted to go to any lengths to save, protect or defend (as in defend their honour etc) their mates and vice versa'. It was quite boring really, and Harry had tuned out many minutes ago.

Sneaking a quick look at Draco, Harry was glad to see the blonde wasn't doing much better. He was playing with his quill on the table, very few notes having been written down on his parchment. Harry gave a short sigh, trying to focus on their tutor.

DmHp

Draco watched as Harry's quill drifted across the parchment, leaving letters that probably formed words in Harry's spidery hand-writing. Draco liked watching Harry. Draco liked how the light reflected from Harry's glasses, blinding him every so often with the intense brightness, Draco liked how the rebelling strands of Harry's hair flopped lazily over his for-head and danced in the light breeze that was emitted through the open window, Draco liked to notice how Harry would often pause in thought, chewing a little on his bottom lip as he mulled over something, and most of all, Draco liked watching Harry to see when the raven-haired teenager turned to watch him.

The first time Draco had nearly been caught staring, he had immediately trained his eyes downwards, twirling his quill in its place on the desk. Then, he had returned to watching Harry, who was no longer taking notes; he was just sitting, glancing at his watch every now and then.

The next time Harry had glanced over, Draco had found his sport of watching Harry ruined for a long period of time, as Harry had taken to watching Draco and therefore stared for quite a long time. Draco, disappointed as he was about no longer being able to watch his mate, was glad that, for once, his mate was watching him.

DmHp

Tracy looked up from the passage she was reading, not faulting in her sentence as she studied the two teenagers in front of her. She almost rolled her eyes, it was so sappy.

They were love sick, she was sure of it.

Little Draco, her darling little half-brother, kept staring, watching his mate, only taking his eyes of the dark haired teenager when said dark haired teenager turned to watch previously mentioned blonde haired teenager. And then the same thing happened, Harry would take his turn at staring, then glance down at his parchment and allow Draco ample time to stare at Harry before the teenager looked over again.

She had a feeling, and it was just a feeling mind – though she highly doubted this one would be proved wrong – that neither boy was paying attention. And so, figuring they wouldn't mind (and of course for a little fun, she wondered which teenager would realize first) Tracy switched mid sentence from describing the veela laws to a slightly twisted magical version of the three little pigs. Oh, how she prayed they would notice soon.

DmHp

Tracy was, half an hour later, becoming rather frustrated. This proved it; neither boy was paying any attention whatsoever. In fact, she bet she could simply walk out the room and neither would notice she was missing.

Tracy Zabini, the blonde haired twenty-three-year-old who had been employed as tutor to her half brother to teach he and his mate veela laws, had just finished telling not only a _thrilling _magical version of the three little pigs (which yes, she had just made up on the spot) but also managed to tell the story of King Arthur ( a much shorter, a much more sadistically twisted and gruesome version of course) and, for some reason, had also sung 'three blind mice' twice; although her version had included them being sliced, diced and eaten for lunch which would probably not sit well with the three poor blind mice when they found out.

"All right, that's it!" Tracy snapped, standing up, though she wasn't really angry. It was hard to be angry with two love-sick idiots that couldn't even realize they were in love. "I have just told you two muggle stories and sang you a song that have _nothing _to do with out topic and neither of you have even noticed!"

"Huh?" Came the disinterested reply from Draco who had only just realized she had said something of great importance.

Tracy sighed and flicked her wand to pack her bag.

"You two are obviously not paying attention; though I don't really blame you, so I don't see the point in staying here right now. I will be back for another session for tomorrow, and I will be bringing blind folds."

The two teenagers stood up so she could move the desks, and both blushed when they realized she had caught them staring; though of course, neither had the brains to figure out that they were not the only guilty party and that, in fact, the other was just as guilty as them.

She gave her half-brother a quick hug, nodded once to Harry, then swept from their rooms. A minute or so later she popped her head back round the door, vanished the desk she had used, gave them a cheery wave then left again.

DmHp

Draco blinked a few times at the now closed portrait door, still not quite sure why his half sister had just left without finishing her lecture. Although, he might have opted to leave as well had he caught his students blatantly ignoring him in favour of staring at their mate, but…ah well, it meant more time for him to spend with Harry.

However, when he turned around to look for the previously mentioned teenager, all he could see was the empty room. To one side he heard the soft click of a door shutting, and twirled just in time to realize Harry had entered the library.

Draco sighed, wondering just what exactly was puzzling the raven haired boy. Harry had called him 'Malfoy' all morning, and was definitely not being his usual, polite self, but it wasn't as though the behaviour was provoked or anything. Unless Draco had gotten very, very pissed the previous night, attacked Harry and promptly fell asleep afterwards and forgetting all about it. Draco swallowed hard; he sure hoped that wasn't it, because he'd have a hard job figuring out just what _exactly _he'd done wrong.

He knew from the complaints that he didn't make a particularly nice drunk.

DmHp

Harry slammed the book closed, having found only another small and vague chapter on the veela species. It was quite annoying really; skimming through six different books and finding out only that Veela were a rare breed with extreme beauty that needed mates to survive. But bonding…now, that seemed to be a matter that was kept in complete secrecy. '_I wonder if there have been some nasty experiences…'_

The raven haired teenager sighed, folding his arms on the table and leaning his head on them for comfort. He heard his stomach rumble, and decided it was most likely past lunchtime, but that also meant his little experiment was complete. Harry had thought that Draco would come and fetch him for lunch, make sure he ate a proper meal and not starve himself but no, the veela had never come. Harry smiled grimly; that was it, the morning's performance – however small – had undoubtedly worked. Draco was probably angry with him, and had decided not to talk to him. Yippee, bring out the banners.

'_I spoke to soon…'_

"Erm…Harry? Have you eaten anything? Sorry, I was in my room and didn't realize the time…" a voice drifted to Harry's ears, making him jump a little. He hadn't heard the door open. Sure enough, when he looked up he found the veela he had been brooding over standing in the doorway, a rather concerned look plastered over his face.

"Hey, you okay?"

Harry nodded, shaking his head mentally and telling himself to concentrate. He was tired, he knew that for sure, but he couldn't seem to think beyond that statement.

"Oh…Yeah, yeah I have," Harry nodded, setting his face into 'un-emotional' mode. He didn't even bother to apologize for not checking on the blonde, he simply opened one of the books and set about reading; though his eyes brain didn't register a single word his eyes passed over.

Draco lingered for several more moments, then left with his lips pressed tightly together in a thin line. Harry winced as the door shut softly; wondering whether or not the other teenager was pissed at him. He sure hoped so, because he didn't know how long he could live with Draco and be cruel to him at the same time. It just wasn't in Harry's nature, and as much as he was loathed to admit it, he felt bad for hurting the blonde that was now on the other side of the door.

DmHp

Draco shut the library door softly behind him, scowling as soon as Harry could no longer see his face. His mate had lied to him; Draco had been in their common room the entire time, and Harry had _not _left the library at _all_, and therefore had not eaten anything. The house-elves were not allowed to enter the library, as it was their study area (the teachers didn't want them to be distracted whilst doing homework) so he hadn't called them either.

'_Well, let him starve. It's not like it's my fault or anything, and I highly doubt I care.'_

As he walked into his bedroom with a book in hand, Draco wondered just how long he could keep telling himself that.

DmHp

Harry and Draco did not see or speak to each other for the rest of the day. It wasn't actually as hard as they had expected it to be, but as it was a mutual agreement of avoidance it worked pretty well; Draco ordered dinner in his bedroom and stayed in there most of the day reading, whilst Harry did the same in the library, only coming out in the late evening for dinner.

Draco had not been worried. Not even in the slightest. Harry was allowed to brood, what did it matter? And it wasn't as if the other teenager was in any danger, so why should Draco always be able to see him?

But, when Draco crawled into bed later that night without having seen his mate even once since around half one, he was quite positive that sleep would be a long time coming.

DmHp

Harry glanced at his watched one last time, making sure it really _was _gone midnight. He prayed Draco had already buggered off to bed; it wouldn't do to run into him now after managing so well to ignore him. Of course, he completely ignored the nagging voice telling him to go briefly check that the blonde was still alive; what did it matter anyway?

He balanced the few books he was carrying on one arm carefully, then opened the door to the library and quickly slipped out. He planned to continue reading, but if he was going to stay up for a good few hours he at least wanted to do it in the comfort of their common room/lounge.

He put the pile of books down at one end of the couch, then lit a fire in the fireplace and watched, entranced by the flames, for a few moments before curling up at the other end of the sofa and grabbing the first book from the pile; _Animalistic Instincts_. Heaving a light sigh, he opened the book and skimmed down the contents page to 'The Veela community'. It was going to be a long night.

DmHp

Draco rolled over, shifting the quilt on top of him to try and get comfy. He lay still for a few moments, attempting sleep, before rolling over the other way and kicking his legs out a bit more.

It was half past fucking three in the morning, and the blonde had had very little sleep; in fact, absolutely none at all. His head was aching, his heart was pounding, and for some stupid reason he couldn't get the boy-who-bloody-lived out of his damn mind.

Draco growled under his breath, rolling over again onto his side. He couldn't sleep, he just couldn't. Maybe just a little look at his mate… '_NO! No way, Draco Malfoy, Malfoy's don't have feelings and they certainly do not care about other people_!'

He, of course, ignored the voice telling him to stop imitating his father.

DmHp

One of the doors leading off from the joint common room of the veela quarters opened slowly and softly, careful as to not make a sound. A figure dressed in dark green silk pyjamas slipped out, moving across the room to one of the other doors.

A soft 'thump' startled the figure, causing them to spin around to find the source of the noise. A soft smile flickered over the figure's face when the saw just where the noise had come from, and they pulled out their wand to conjure a purple blanket.

For the rest of that night, Draco Malfoy slept soundly, knowing his mate was safe.

For the rest of that night, Harry Potter slept curled up on the couch, a dark purple blanket thrown over him and tucked around his fragile body.

For the rest of that night, a rather put-out and lonely book lay on the floor, one of its brittle parchment pages folded oddly as the result of how it landed painfully on the floor.

DmHp

And that's it for this chapter! Wow, almost nine pages, that three more than you usually get…so, do I deserve reviews? (Big grin).

Anyway, it was my birthday yesterday, so I'm sorry for not uploading it as soon as I wrote it; I wanted to enjoy my birthday, not spend it tapping away at a computer you know? Anyway, I hope it was worth the wait!

Reviews are appreciated! _A lot! _

Edited; 30-05-07


	9. Pushing him away

A/N; well, another week another chapter. Thank you to all those who wished me happy birthday, and thank you to all my readers and reviewers! YOU GUYS ROCK! Sorry, but it always makes me smile to read reviews, 'tis fun!

Disclaimer; you know the drill, I don't own a thing

Warnings; language that may be probably shouldn't read by kids, slash that probably isn't suitable for kids, mentions of abuse/self harm that probably aren't suitable for little kids to read… sigh little kids, this just isn't your day, is it?

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah'_

DmHp

Harry opened his weary eyes slowly, blinking back the sleep that had invaded sometime during the previous night. He smiled lightly, snuggling further down into the couch, only vaguely recognizing the fact that he was now safe in a comforting cocoon of warmth.

It was rather strange; really, he hadn't even felt tired the night before; there had been no signals telling him he was falling asleep. He spotted the book lying on the floor a little way away, one of its pages folded awkwardly underneath it due to a messy landing. But then, if he hadn't realized he was dropping off before he did, when had he had time to conjure the blanket that was currently wrapped protectively around him?

Harry slowly sat up, looking around the room properly, taking the time to register every detail into his brain. Well, it didn't look like Draco was up, that was a good start to the day. But then again, was it really? Was that really what he wanted? Didn't he wish to be woken up in the morning and find himself laying next to the blonde, didn't he wish to have a gently kiss planted lovingly on his fore-head when his lover noticed he was finally awake?

Harry shook his head violently, massaging his temples. Where the fuck had _that _come from?

DmHp

Draco rolled over in his sleep, reality increasing its grip on his mind and forcing him violently back into the real world. The blonde groaned as his eyes opened of their own accord, and sighed upon realizing he would never get back to sleep. He threw off his quilt, sitting up in his bed, then swung his legs over the side and planted his feet firmly upon the carpet.

It was going to be another long day, he just knew it. Just what the hell had been wrong with Harry the day before anyway? Draco picked out a clean towel and threw it over his arm, then left his bedroom for a shower.

Harry was still asleep; looking as beautiful as ever as he lay sprawled out on the couch. '_Like a dark-haired angel,' _Draco thought, taking care not to wake his mate as he crossed the room.

Once in the bathroom, he stripped of all his night-clothes and turned on the water to wait for it to heat up. It didn't take long, and soon he was leaning up against the wall of the shower as the water trickled slowly down his lithe form.

Harry…why couldn't he get that stupid Gryffindor out of his head? Draco sighed angrily, letting his head bang on the wall behind him. Maybe it was his stupid veela side taking over, torturing him with oh so sweet images of the other teenager when in reality the boy seemed to hate him.

Hate? Was that really such an appropriate word? Draco grabbed a bottle of shampoo from the shelf as he thought. No, surely not hate; Harry had been perfectly fine with him before yesterday. So it couldn't be hate, right?

DmHp

Harry jumped, startled, as he heard the bathroom door open and watched the blonde haired teenager emerge…with nothing but a loose towel clinging half heartedly his waist. He couldn't remove his eyes from the other teenager's form as Draco crossed the room, captivated by the toned muscles and slender curves of the male body not all that far away from him.

Harry blinked rapidly, trying to remove his attention from the other male, hoping Draco hadn't noticed him staring. However, the blonde merely crossed the room without so much as glancing his way and entered his own bedroom.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief; glad his torture was over, then finally stood from the couch and stretched, grimacing at the loud cracking sounds that followed from angry joints. He picked up the blanket and went into his room, closing the door softly behind him.

DmHp

The rest of that week passed, in general, without great incident. The two teenagers avoided each other as much as possible, only speaking to each other when absolutely necessary. Tracy came to teach every day, but each time left within an hour or so because of the unbearable tension between the two boys that were supposedly her students. She wondered what had happened between them, but figured they would have to work it out between them. They stared at each other throughout her lessons -when they thought the other wouldn't notice - and frankly she wished they would just kiss and be done with it.

Tracy didn't want to be stuck inside a teenager soap opera.

DmHp

Narcissa had also visited again, though had also found the two at odds. When she asked Draco, he had told her that Harry had been a bastard to him and he was merely returning the favour. Harry refused to speak to her about it.

"Hey, Tracy?"

"Yeah?" The blonde looked up from the book she was reading as Narcissa entered the rooms they were sharing during their stay at the castle. Dumbledore had decided it was most likely unsafe for Narcissa to leave her son (he would undoubtedly need help with any problems with his Veela side, and she would miss him too much anyway) and of course Tracy was staying at the castle to teach her half brother.

"Well, have you noticed anything odd between Harry and Draco recently?"

Tracy snorted, snapping her book shut. "Odd? You mean the tension and stuff? I mean, it's so easy to tell they care for each other – and if not they are definitely lusting – and yet they're being bloody prats!"

"Yes, that's what I thought," the elder woman replied, sitting in a chair opposite Tracy.

"What do you think brought it about?"

Narcissa gave a half shrug. "As far as I could tell originally, they were getting along just fine. I mean, before this they were always at the each other's throats, but in my opinion it was just a way of being close to each other. I mean, during the summer all Draco could talk about was 'Potter this' and 'bloody scar-head' that.

Then, when this whole veela thing kicked in, Draco was okay with it all. He had a crush on Harry for quite a long time – though I don't think he knows I know – and Harry seemed to take it just as well anyway. They _were _getting along fine."

"Maybe Harry has a bloody hero complex," Tracy muttered, opening her book again.

Narcissa pursed her lips, thinking it over. "Maybe."

DmHp

Monday. Monday morning. Monday morning, the day Harry and Draco were due to return to classes. Oh bloody hell.

Harry rolled over, groaning loudly as a protest to being woken up. He didn't _want _to go back to school; he didn't _want _to go to class. The two teenagers had been delivered knew time-tables the day before, as they were expected to now share all the same classes. Fucking Dumbledore, making it hard for him to ditch the blonde.

They were also supposed to eat together. Harry scoffed at the idea; there was no way they were going to sit together at all, not even in class. It was hard enough trying to keep the other teenager out of his thoughts, never mind out of his sight. If he had to spend just a little more time with Draco he would snap, his whole plan crumbling down around him like a biscuit dunked in tea.

Although, it had worked relatively well up to that point. Harry rolled over again. Draco had taken to avoiding him, and seemed to have gone back to hating him. Well, at least he didn't like him anymore; that would only make the whole thing harder.

But it hadn't been as east as Harry had thought. He had yet to stop thinking about the blonde, and it hurt to see Draco scowl at him again when they happened to pass each other. He guessed he deserved it really; he had been the one to start the whole thing. Why, why did Draco have to hate him again?

'_Because you're a stupid idiot that thinks it's better this way,' _

Harry had always looked away too quickly to spot the aching loss in Draco's eyes.

DmHp

Draco stared at the soft silvery grey ceiling above him, wondering what the day ahead would be like. He and Harry had gone back to being enemies, and he doubted they would make it through the day without at least one argument of some sort.

But then, just what had brought about this sudden change in Harry, just those few days ago? The dark haired teenager had just started pushing him away, with no reason to do so, began to add a spiteful edge to his tone, began to scowl more frequently in his direction…

Pushing him away…was that supposed to make sense? Was there supposed to be a point to what Harry was doing? Did he have some unknown and bloody stupid reasoning to back him up?

Pushing him away…it sounded like such a stupid thing to do.

Pushing him away…

Draco was positive there was something significant in those his wording of what Harry was doing. If only he could figure out what it fucking well meant.

DmHp

Harry, wearing a deep scowl and glaring at anyone who tried to talk to him, plonked down at his house table, picking at the little food he had put on his plate. He felt the two seats on either side of him being taken up, and watched as Hermione began to pile more, healthier food onto his plate.

"Where's Draco?"

"How the hell should I know?"

The fork in Hermione's hand stopped on its path to Harry's plate, the potato that she had picked up dropping with a quiet 'thunk' to the table.

"Isn't he supposed to be with you?" Hermione asked, trying to word her phrasing correctly so she wouldn't make her friend's mood worse. Harry shrugged.

"Probably. I don't care though. I don't ever want to see that git again."

"Thank you, Harry! Welcome back to reality," Ron patted his friend on the back, and proceeded to engage Harry in a bitching session about the blonde.

"Harry, did something happen between you two?"

"Oh no, why would you think that?"

"Just drop it Hermione, I told you the ferret wasn't any good," Ron interjected, trying to talk to Harry again without his girlfriend butting in.

"Shut it, Ronald. Harry, what happened? Did you have a fight, you seemed to be getting along so well? You have to give it time, you know, but you can-…"

"I don't care, 'Mione. I don't want to get along with him. He's a Malfoy."

"Harry, are you pushing him away for a reason or are you just really thick?"

"WHAT?" Harry cried, turning to face her fully "What the fuck are on about?"

Hermione studied his eyes, confirming her fears. Ever since she had visited the two only a week ago, she had been worried that perhaps Harry would push Draco away, trying to protect him. She always knew Harry had a hero complex.

But before she could say anything on the topic, Ginny came up behind Harry and threw her arms around his neck, squealing in delight. Hermione growled angrily as Harry proceeded to return the hug, then make room next to him for the red-head to sit down.

"Oh, Harry, I was so worried about you, who knew what that filthy little ferret would do to you? He didn't try anything did he? Oh, I just want to strangle him…"

Hermione huffed, mumbling something under her breath about jealous hormonal teenagers, then began to eat her breakfast, deciding she would lecture Harry later.

DmHp

Draco had arrived at the Slytherin table early, then proceeded to bitch to Pansy about Harry, complaining that the dark haired teenager was pushing him away without reason. Blaise had told him he didn't need the bloody Gryffindor; that he could do better anyway.

Pansy had sworn to kill the spoilt brat as soon as she got her hands on him.

Draco had only stopped his ranting when he spotted a red head blur speed towards Harry, then hug him tightly. That little red-head wrench was cuddling _his _Harry; _his _mate.

He growled angrily, fisting his hands and mutilating his food to stop him going over there. He would _not _submit to his feelings, he would _not _admit he was jealous. Let the brat do what she wanted, it's not like he could give a damn anyway.

DmHp

The morning had passed relatively well, or as well as it could have done with two enemies forced to spend every lesson together. They had always sat on opposite sides of the room, never speaking or looking at each other; of course, those sneaked glances and stolen stares didn't really count, right?

Some of the other students, of course, had heard about the blonde being a veela and the Gryffindor being his mate (because, let's face it, only the most important secrets are ever discovered that quickly), but were pleased to find nothing had changed between the two. After all, the walls of reality would begin to crumble if the school's two biggest rivals were suddenly holding hands and smooching in class.

But, by lunch, Harry had begun to feel sick, his stomach swirling and his head aching. He had brushed it off as being tired; he hadn't slept well the previous night due to a nightmare. It _was _starting to annoy him though, and, as much as he hated it, it looked as though hospital wing might be his best option.

DmHp

Draco knew what was going on. _He _knew what the sickness meant, how to cure the dizziness, and he cursed his veela side for forcing it upon him. Damn Harry and his bloody pathetic stupidity, why couldn't the Gryffindor just accept that they were mates and get over it? If they weren't going to get along Draco would appreciate it if the dark haired boy just bloody rejected him and get it over with. But, what did it matter; at this rate they would both be dead soon anyway.

DmHp

Within a few days, Harry quickly decided he missed being friends with Draco. He missed sharing meals together in their rooms, he missed hearing Draco's voice without even the slightest trace of malice, he missed Draco's smile and he missed being woken up in a morning by his blonde angel. Wait, _his _blonde angel?

Hell, he must really be ill.

The sickness hadn't gone away, not even in the slightest. If anything, it had gotten worse. The only time it seemed to relent was when he was near that stupid blonde veela, which wasn't really often.

In reality, he almost regretted his decision to push the blonde away. Almost. He was doing this for Draco's safety, he was doing this to safe the blonde the death penalty. He _didn't _care, and Draco had already adopted his role and returned to hating Harry as he always had. It didn't matter whether or not he missed him. Not at all.

DmHp

"Watch it, Potter!"

"Shove off, Malfoy, you're the one that walked in to me,"

"Taken a trip to fairy land, have we, you stupid Gryffindor? You and retched Mudblood loving friends should be tripping over yourselves to get out of the way, bowing down as we pass."

Hermione sighed angrily, shaking her head as Ron also joined in the fight. Spats like these had become frequent over the past few days, always starting or involving with some sort of physical contact between the veela and his mate. She knew what was going on, anyone with half a brain could figure it out. Pity the two in front of her had heads full of dusty boxes and mouldy wood.

It was quite simple, really. Harry and Draco were beginning to feel the strain, the built up tension that was ripping them apart in side. It was common knowledge that a veela and their mate had to remain constantly in sight of the other, and needed to feel the comforting touch of their significant other on a regular basis. Harry and Draco spent as much time as possible out of each other's way, so this fighting was the only way to find some sort of release; the more time they spent fighting, the more time they spent with each other. The more they were in contact with each other, the better the two felt.

It was just a pity that the two idiots found punches and shoves the only way to be in contact with each other.

DmHp

Draco smirked at Harry, viciously shoving him out of the way as they raced each other to their dorms. It had become a regular fight, racing each other to see who was the better of the two. Upon reaching their rooms they would try to enter at the same time, pushing and shoving as much as possible to get through.

Draco knew what they were doing, and vaguely wondered if Harry was feeling it to. He kept searching for the dark-haired boy out of the corner of his eye each time he looked up, kept repressing the need to see and touch his mate at every possible moment during the day.

That's why, when they passed each other in the halls, he would shove the other boy out of the way, or start a verbal (sometimes even physical if he hadn't seen his mate all day) battle, each one sticking around for as long as possible just so they could see each other. It was rather pathetic, really.

DmHp

Harry flopped onto his bed, thanking the gods it was the end of the week. His world was still spinning, and it had been so bad that he hadn't eaten anything that lunch. He had begun to find he couldn't take his eyes off the blonde in lessons, finding it harder and harder to concentrate throughout the day. In potions, when they were partnered together (Snape had picked up on the fact that they weren't on good terms, and had decided to be a bastard again) he found that they would brush hands a little too often for it to be accidental, though neither ever said anything.

It hurt, to hear Draco insulting him and his friends again, it hurt to see the anger and hatred in the blonde's eyes. It hurt, to push him away.

And not for the first time that week, Harry regretted ever having made the decision to push him away.

But if it saved Draco, the stupid veela who had gotten them both into that mess just two weeks ago, he was quite happy suffering for eternity.

Pushing him away…it had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

DmHp

Pansy gave a frustrated sigh, rolling her eyes as she watched Draco and Harry fight _again_. Only this time, Harry had been the one to start it; a clear sign that the Gryffindor was finally beginning to feel the heat. It was the beginning of their second week back in lessons, their second week of ignoring and hating each other, their second week of constantly fighting and staring when they though the other wouldn't notice.

In all honesty, Pansy was beginning to worry. Her best friend was being torn apart in side, that was obvious, and yet refused to admit it. Draco had told her that Harry had simply started being rude as fuck, and had reverted back to hating him. In retaliation, Draco had done the same.

Being the stubborn Malfoy that he was, he refused to admit he had done anything wrong.

Though, she figured, he was right. It was mainly Harry's fault they were in that mess, but if Draco would just stop being a fool and talk to him…

Behind where Harry was stood fighting with Draco, his red-haired side-kick giving his own dosage of rather pathetic insults beside him, Pansy caught the brown haired girl rolling her eyes and scowling at the boys.

Pansy began to wonder. Then Pansy began to plot.

And so, whilst the teenage boys were doing what they did best, the Slytherin seventh year crept past them and over to where Hermione was stood.

None of the boys noticed the two girls leaving them in the middle of corridor to fight it out alone.

DmHp

Tracy was rather surprised to hear knocking at her door, just as she was rather surprised when the Slytherin girl she knew to be Pansy entered with a brown haired Gryffindor girl.

She was not, however, surprised when they stated they were worried about the veela and his mate, nor was she surprised when Narcissa came rushing into the room after hearing her son's name and started to question Pansy as to how he was coping.

"I think," Hermione started "that Harry is being very stupid and has gotten it into his head that he has to protect Draco."

Narcissa grimaced, nodding. "Yes, that's what Tracy and I think to. We thought they could sort it out between them."

Pansy shook her head "Draco's falling apart, Cissy. We can't just leave it to them."

Tracy nodded in agreement, and Hermione sighed.

"Perhaps then…perhaps I should call in the team."

DmHp

It was barely half an hour later that Hermione was being introduced to two of Narcissa's friends, Pippa and Cecil, and barely minutes after that that she found herself sitting with the group of Slytherins plotting how to get the two male teenagers everyone was so concerned about to stop being bloody idiots.

Although, she realized, it was nice to see they were nothing like the Slytherin stereotypes; they were kind, caring, surprisingly funny and most of all they all wanted to help the two boys be friends again. Well, Cecil just wanted them to make out, but that was beside the point.

"Perhaps a nice long lecture would do the trick," Hermione wondered, shrugging half heartedly.

"I doubt either of them would listen."

"And they're too stubborn to admit they were wrong anyway," Tracy put in.

"Just lock them in a room together, I'm sure that'll work," Cecil suggested, receiving many eye rolls as a reply "Hey, it was a good idea!"

"I wonder why Harry thinks he is doing good though," Pansy mumbled, leaning back against the chair Hermione was sat in next to the Gryffindor girl's legs "I mean, surely he's noticed what it's doing to both of them."

"Perhaps he is worried that Draco will get too close to him," Pippa replied gravely, frowning slightly "maybe he thinks Draco will become entangled in his life. Maybe he thinks he is not worthy. Maybe he feels that Draco being close to him is just putting them both into more danger. Maybe he believes what he is doing is for the best. He is only trying to protect what and who he cares for the most,"

Cecil gave a dramatic sigh, placing one hand over her heart "Ah, young love."

DmHp

Harry scowled at his reflection in the mirror, casting the glamour charm again to no avail. It just wasn't working. His scowl deepened, only to be broken by a yawn as Gryffindor teenager found his eyes slipping closed of their own accord.

He was tired, that was all he could think of at that time. His magic was draining because of that stupid blonde haired Malfoy (why couldn't the Slytherin just piss off and get out of his head anyway?) and he had found himself tiring quickly when doing even the smallest of tasks.

He wrenched his eyes open, willing himself to stay awake. He had classes all day, and he couldn't leave the bathroom until his glamour was up and the scars were properly hidden.

Perhaps they wouldn't notice, he reasoned, as the charm failed again. Harry looked down as his body, then at his robes that lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. No, he couldn't take the risk.

He tried to perform the charm again.

Harry Potter, seventeen year old wizard and mate of the Slytherin veela, hardly even noticed when his eyes slipped closed once more and his half naked body fell to the bathroom floor.

DmHp

A/N Well, do you reckon Harry will finally get a clue? Lol, 10 pages this time, and I have a feeling the next one will be even longer. Shrug never mind.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review!

Edited; 30-05-07


	10. Unseen circumstances

A/N; YAY! I've finally broken up for the summer holidays (I was in school until Tuesday, mean teachers) so I've been able to sit and write more of this story. I hope you're all enjoying it, and thanks for all your support and reviews!

Disclaimer; I own nothing. Also, I had a review the other day alerting me that a few bits and pieces seem to be similar to that found in other stories (i.e in my story there's some dialogue at the beginning which someone thinks is similar to some other speech in another story). I would like to apologize to any authors that think this, but it was in no way intentional; all ideas contained within this story are mine, I haven't stolen anything from anyone else; I'm afraid it is merely bad luck and coincidence on my behalf.

Warnings; you've probably already noticed; bad/foul language, slash, mentions of abuse and self harm…you've read it all already, don't like don't read.

Speech "blah"

Thoughts '_blah_'

By the way, some parts in this require a lot of imagination…I've tried to describe it as best as I can but…well, you'll see. Enjoy!

DmHp

_Perhaps they wouldn't notice, he reasoned, as the charm failed again. Harry looked down as his body, then at his robes that lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. No, he couldn't take the risk._

_He tried to perform the charm again._

_Harry Potter, seventeen year old wizard and mate of the Slytherin veela, hardly even noticed when his eyes slipped closed once more and his half naked body fell to the bathroom floor._

DmHp

'_Tuesday,' _Draco mused, climbing slowly from the comfort of his bed _'Tuesday two weeks ago found Harry standing in our quarters dressed in the finest leather clothing, laughing with us over absolutely nothing…how did it come to this?'_

Draco yawned, raising a hand absentmindedly to cover his mouth as he ambled about his room. He scowled as he caught sight of the mirror he had brought from his old room; his reflection reminding him sourly it was _way_ far too early to be up and about.

The blonde ran a hand through his hair that was falling lazily around his face; not that it helped much. He grabbed the nearest clothes, and headed out of his room for a shower. He wanted to be out of their dormitories by the time his mate woke up, they weren't exactly on the best of terms.

Forty-five minutes or so later, Draco Malfoy strolled out of their rooms, bag slung over one shoulder as he adjusted his tie. He headed towards the library, deciding to start on early on their potions essay.

He had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

DmHp

Hermione rolled over in her bed, deciding early mornings did not agree with her. If they were a human, she would most likely give them a long lecture on the principles of letting people sleep in until at least seven, not stopping until they grudgingly agreed with her.

However, to her dismay, Tuesday mornings were just that; mornings, and there was no logical way of conversing with them other than screaming out of a window at the rising sun. So, accepting that she did in fact have to get up, she pushed off her covers and began her usual morning rituals.

'_I don't know how people do it,_'

"Bloody morning people."

DmHp

Pansy Parkinson had always been – no matter how much Draco yelled at her for it daily – a morning person.

She was the type of person that woke up early in a morning and sang at the top of her voice in the shower just to piss everybody else up as they slowly awoke at the noise she made.

She was the type of girl that was at the table before anyone else, and began to hum merrily as people arrived in their usual states of disinterest.

She was the type of person that nodded excitedly when someone said to her; "Oh god, you're one of those bloody morning people."

She was the person who laughed as everyone else buttered their toast wearily, claiming in a loud, cheery voice what a lovely morning it was.

She was the type of person that listened patiently to her blonde haired friend rant angrily about his woes, then smiled and gracefully held out the pitcher of juice when he was finished, telling him to cheer up and smile.

Pansy Parkinson was the type of person that lived in the morning just to kill everybody else through her too bright and overly-cheery smiles.

Therefore, when Tuesday morning rolled around and called for her up exceptionally early, it wasn't at all unusual to see her walk out of the Slytherin common room door no more than half an hour after her alarm went off, whistling a merry tune; if anyone was stupid enough to be awake and see her, of course. But as it was, nobody was, and therefore nobody was around to decide whether it was usual or not.

But had they been, they would have merely rolled their eyes and mumbled; "Bloody morning people."

DmHp

Much to both her husband's and her son's dismay, Narcissa Malfoy was in fact a very cheery type of morning person, always bustling around the house before anyone else had even thought about waking up, humming a happy muggle tune lightly under her breath.

And, much to Tracy's own dismay, she was also the type of morning person that liked to wake everybody else up just so she could have some company. That was why Tuesday morning dawned on their quarters to find a very resisting in-no-way-related-but-kind-of-adopted-daughter being hauled from her bed by an overly-bubbly in-no-way-related-but-sort-of-step-mother at a time that could only be deemed as unfit for human existence.

"Come on, Tracy, the girls will be here any minute now! You have to get up, come on, come on, come on!"

The blonde haired twenty something year old woman rolled her eyes, and batted Narcissa's hand away.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'm coming, honestly."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Then hurry up!" And with that, Narcissa swept from the room, already singing song which Tracy recognized vaguely from a muggle Disney video.

Tracy got up off the bed, rummaging through some piles of clothing for something to wear, mumbling almost incoherently under her breath

"Bloody morning people."

DmHp

"Alright then, did anyone come up with any useful ideas last night?"

Hermione yawned, shaking her head in response to the question the elder Malfoy asked the room. Glancing at her watch, she decided that normal people would, right about now, just be opening their eyes and slamming their alarm clock against the wall in favour of going back to sleep for half an hour. She yawned again; if only she were still in bed.

Pippa and Cecil had, apparently, spent the night in the Malfoy's rooms, and now there they all were at another 'meeting'; Pippa, Cecil, Narcissa, Tracy, Pansy and Hermione all sitting around on various chairs and cushions, trying to decide how to deal with the two idiotic boys that were most likely still sleeping unawares somewhere in the castle.

"Well, I still hold to my idea of locking them in a room together."

"They'd kill each other," Pansy replied to Cecil's statement, smiling in that annoying little way that morning people often do.

"Nah, maim perhaps, but not kill," was Tracy's response, snuggling a little further down into her corner of the couch, most likely falling back asleep.

"You'd be surprised," Hermione said tiredly from where she sat beside Pansy, leaning slightly on the other girl as she tried in vain to stay awake.

"We could take away their wands!" Cecil defended her idea.

"They could use their hands."

"We could chop of their limbs!"

Hermione cracked a smile at this, rolling her eyes. She had become used to Cecil's bubbly personality, though it had startled her that an ex-Slytherin could act something like a rather strange Hufflepuff sixth year.

"I highly doubt they'd appreciate that, Cecil," Pippa said, hitting her friend upside the head "so drop it."

The group sat in silence for a few moments, until Cecil began to bounce one leg up and down. Most eyes switched to her as she sat inspecting her finger nails, her leg bouncing becoming more insistent. Then she began to hum, though quietly, an upbeat tune, nodding her head in time to the beat.

Pippa rolled her eyes at her friend's antics, and nudged the woman in her side.

"All right, all right, what is it now?"

Cecil grinned, her leg bouncing stopping immediately.

"I say…we stick them together."

The room was filled with groans, Tracy muttering a quiet "Kill me now."

"What?" Cecil cried "I thought I was a brilliant idea! We stick like their hands together or their hips, and they stay like that until they kiss…"

"No Cecil."

Cecil pouted, pulling a face at Narcissa, then slumped back on the couch.

"You're no fun."

DmHp

Draco rubbed a hand over his eyes, willing the swirling in his stomach to go away. It had gotten worse over the last half an hour he had been awake, and he really couldn't be bothered to go find Harry to start a fight so he could find a way to touch the dark haired boy, thereby solving his problem.

The blonde gave a frustrated sigh, snapping the book closed angrily. He stuffed the offending item into his bag, and stood up from the table. He _wasn't _going to find the Gryffindor, he was going to go eat peacefully in the great hall whilst it was still vaguely empty. Or at least, that's what he told himself as he ascended the stairs that led to their personal rooms.

DmHp

'_I feel…empty…' _

DmHp

Draco stopped mid-stride, a cold sense of dread flowing over him as though someone had just cracked an egg upon his head (not that he knew what _that _felt like; no one had ever gotten close enough to his hair to do so). His veela instincts were sending up a little red flag; like a little voice in the back of his mind telling him something was wrong.

His stomach, already plenty upset at Draco for staying away from his mate, began to lurch in every direction, and he could feel his head going fuzzy as the world and his view of it became empty.

Draco clutched at his head, letting a small moan of pain escape his lips. The veela part of him began to scream angrily as his eyes slipped closed to try and block the pain.

The veela part of him knew what was going on, and was trying to break away, trying to find the source of the problem and help. Slowly, through his foggy mind, Draco also began to realize what had happened. His mate. His mate was troubled. In fact, Harry was completely blocking what little bit of a bond the pair had due to them being mates…and the blonde was quickly falling into the whirling darkness where his mate most likely resided at that point in time.

Growling in anger at because of his own stupidity for not seeing it coming, Draco forced his eyes open, and took off again, this time at a much quicker pace.

'_I am not concerned, I am not concerned, I am not concerned.'_

DmHp

'_I feel…alone…'_

DmHp

Narcissa raised two fingers to her head, gently massaging her temple. She had a splitting head-ache, and the group had still not really plotted anything of great brilliance…damn the fucking head-ache, she just couldn't concentrate…

Her eyes flew wide open as a startling realization hit her, feeling her son's distress through the little link they had due to them being related veela's…and Harry…he was concerned for Harry…

'_Dear God, what have they done?_'

DmHp

A single strand of power, in turn made up of two separate strands entwined together -one startling gold and the other the purest of silvers - quivered. The strand – thin and fragile – shook, a pulse of energy speeding through it. The strand tensed, stretching out a little more. It had been doing that a lot lately, and it wasn't strong enough to withstand the tension much longer.

The strand of power, two swirling colours joined together to make one, began to vibrate angrily, jostling the energy contained within it. And then, the singular gold strand began to pull away from the second, silvery strand, and one, definite though shallow crack formed between the two.

And so it began.

DmHp

'_I feel…pain…_'

DmHp

Draco never made it to their joint dormitories, falling to the floor just short of the sleeping portrait. Alone in the hushed silence of the corridor, the blonde Slytherin lay panting on the cold floor, struggling to keep his eyes open. He just didn't have the energy…

And slowly, his world began to go hazy, loosing focus on the already fuzzy world…

And then he knew no more.

DmHp

'_I feel…cold…'_

DmHp

The strand of power stayed silent, the two thinner strands already weakened. The two strands were still closely entwined to form one, though the previously formed crack was still very much real. A wave of energy pulsed down the strand, and this time the silver one was pulled, twisting away from its partnering strand…

DmHp

Gathering her strength, Narcissa stood quickly, ushering her questioning friends and the two students out the door. She strode quickly through the almost empty halls, the five others following closely behind her, and quickly told them something had happened to the veela couple.

No one bothered to ask anymore questions. After all, none lacked the ability to read.

DmHp

'_I feel…abandoned..._'

DmHp

A deafening shriek sounded through the halls of Hogwarts castle, rousing the many portraits and indeed, the still sleeping students. One, singular cry of a distressed female veela succeeded to alert many passing professors to the happenings, and also managed to terrify a good deal of first years. But no matter, they are not crucial to this part of the story.

Narcissa, her eyes glowing a furious red, fell to her son's side, pulling his body close to her own. Pansy and Hermione shared a look, before Hermione and Pippa gained access to the veela quarters, leaving Pansy and Cecil to deal not only with a pale, almost lifeless teenage boy but a distressed, angry veela mother.

The sight of Harry Potter, collapsed and ghost like on the bathroom floor was not an unexpected one.

And yet, another distressed cry rang through the halls of Hogwarts that morning, this time in despair and shock horror.

The boy-who-lived, golden-boy, Dumbledore's golden-one, the chosen one…none of those titles really and truly seemed appropriate at that moment.

Harry Potter, the boy who had always only wanted to be a simple, ordinary boy with a normal teenage life was not who he seemed.

DmHp

"How are they doing?"

"No changes, Severus."

It would have been a strange thing, to any other student, that Severus Snape was one of many visitors to the ward that contained the two bodies of two equally idiotic teenage boys. It was not that fact, however, that scared Poppy at that moment. No, it was this; Severus Snape, the Potions professor known for being cruel but always immaculate in appearance, had turned up every day without fail, recently developoing sunken eyes, dark circles and a great concern for the well-being of the two boys.

Although, Poppy mused, who was she to talk? Dark circles had also invaded the space under her own eyes due to many sleepless nights, and her mouth was often drawn into a straight line to stop her constantly frowning in worry or despair.

The fact was that Poppy, no matter how great a nurse, simply _couldn't _wake up the veela and his mate. And, for that matter, neither could anyone else.

Over the week that had passed since their bodies had been brought in, many other nurses had visited, many of Severus's potions had been tried, and many healing spells had been performed. It was the simple truth that the two boys had to solve the matter themselves.

DmHp

'_I feel…tired…_'

DmHp

The strand, still pulsing with lifeless energy, tensed again, the singular crack deepening.

Further down the line, where the gold and silver strands first joined, another crack was forming, this time breaking straight down the middle of the two strands to try and force them apart. The gold had begun to pull away from the now less bright silver, and both strands had dimmed. It was only a matter of time.

DmHp

The library was eerily silent, though no one bothered to notice the silence that was craving attention. No, the silence would simply have to put up with being ignored, broken only by the occasional sound of a page turning in a book.

That was why the silence cheered as a loud, forceful slam was heard after a rather dejected looking book was flung across the room in a particular moment of anger.

Tracy passed the offending bushy haired girl a look of sympathy as the teenager folded her arms on the wooden table and placed her head onto them, sighing in frustration. That book hadn't been any good, just like the last, and the one before that, not to mention the one before that or the one before _that_.

"Hermione…Mione', we'll think of something, okay?"

Pansy placed her hand on her Gryffindor friend's shoulder gently, caressing it with her thumb in a calming motion.

"We will find an answer," the Slytherin girl repeated.

"Of course we will," Blaise put in from across the table, the boy not removing his eyes from the pages in front of him "Trust us, Hermione. We will."

Hermione lifted her head, passing a grateful smile to the Slytherins around her. All of Draco's friends had come, each remaining loyal to their veela friend who was currently in a coma-like state somewhere above them in the hospital wing.

Ron, however, had refused to come with her, had refused all week…he said it was Malfoy's fault, and maybe this would teach Harry to not get involved with 'death eater spawn'. He, Ginny and some other Gryffindor's had eventually set up a research group back in the tower, but she remained the only one willing to join the Slytherin group in the library.

Pansy gave Hermione a comforting hug, brushing a few strands of hair out of the other girl's face as they drew apart.

"We will find an answer. We will."

DmHp

'_I feel…anxious…_'

DmHp

Narcissa watched the two girls sadly for a few moments, before turning back to the book in front of her. She hadn't even the slightest clue how they could wake the two boys she though so fondly of from their coma, though she could feel her veela side screaming something inside her. She had always shushed it quickly, stating that the two boys _couldn't _fall in love whilst in a coma, it was impossible!

How wrong she would soon be proved to be.

DmHp

Poppy gave a short sigh, re-reading the results of the diagnostic spells she had performed. There was no change in either boy's condition, not that she had really expected there to be.

Harry's bruises were healing nicely, though how the teenager had managed all those years Poppy couldn't figure. What's more, a _very _strong glamour charm would have been needed to stop her ever seeing them in the past when he had been in her care, how could she not have seen them? There was no way an ordinary wizard could perform such a miracle…

Although, she mused, the Harry Potter she knew had never really been an ordinary wizard.

DmHp

In the murky landscape that seemed to have no form, in a reality that seemed anything but real, two pairs of eyes snapped open…and two minds shared one identical thought.

'_Oh fuck…'_

DmHp

A/N; ah, I love cliff hangers! Lol, you review and I'll update, deal?

By the way, I want your opinions on something; in this chapter there a light hints at shoujo-ai (girl/girl love) but should I really make Hermione and Pansy a couple? Sometimes it bugs me when authors think that because they have one gay couple everybody else has to be gay, but what do you think to that relationship in this story? Obviously it would be slow going (I really want to write a break up scene for Hermione and Ron) but do you think it would work?

Let me know, enjoy!

Edited; 30-05-07


	11. Veela genes

A/N; Wow, I'm so happy today; that was a load of reviews! Thank you to absolutely everyone who reviewed – and also to all those people that are still reading this! – I wanted to reply to you all individually but there were so many of you!

In regards to the Pansy/Hermione ship, I'm just going to take it as it comes; I don't want to move the attention away from Harry and Draco, but if it happens I am not going to stop it! Thank you to all those reviewers who helped me make this decision!

Disclaimer; you know, it's the same every week; I own nothing. What a pity…

Warnings; Slash (though I hope you've picked up on that one already), mentions of abuse/self harm, bad language…you know, same old same old.

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_blah_'

DmHp

"I just don't get it," Hermione stated, heaving a sigh as she closed the book she had previously been reading. The low sun let a soft light seep into the library, illuminating the table beneath one of the many windows by which she and the Slytherin girl sat.

"There's absolutely _no _reason for Harry to be in the same state as Draco," she explained "when a veela is rejected they fall into depression, starve themselves, rarely go out and eventually slip into a coma to await death."

"Yeah but…Harry collapsed from exhaustion," Pansy put in, glancing up at the Gryffindor girl from over the top of her own book "you know, the strain on their thin bond mixed with the tiring effects of keeping up that bloody glamour charm; it all just tired him out."

"Well even that doesn't make sense!" Hermione cried, rubbing her temples "because Harry hasn't been sleeping for ages, he really is in a coma, and Draco is too! I don't understand! The books say that the only way for a veela to be awakened from their coma is for their mate to love them, but...argh!" Hermione let out a cry of frustration, banging her head onto the table.

Pansy ran a hand through her hair, staring at the other teenage girl across from her. She knew exactly how Hermione felt; useless and bloody confused.

It was going to be a long night.

DmHp

Harry blinked a few times, sitting up very slowly as though any sudden movements could suddenly bring down an angry beast upon him. Looking around, he made two important observations; 1. He had no idea where he was. 2. He wasn't alone.

A little way from him, still laying on the soft, grey surface of the floor, Draco was currently moaning quietly in pain, rubbing his for-head tiredly.

"Not good," Harry heard the veela mutter as the blonde sat up, surveying their surroundings without noticing the darker haired boy not too far from him.

Deciding he should probably try and figure out where they were, Harry looked around as well. There wasn't really much to look at though; a soft but perfectly solid grey floor, and a seemingly endless, thick and murky fog that completely engulfed them within it, making it impossible for him to see anything other than the teenager a little way from him.

The fog seemed to dance in front of him, swimming with a nameless energy that pulsed with a none-existent life.

And finally, turning to face him, Draco noticed Harry's presence, his eyes widening in shock.

"Well, shit."

DmHp

'_It's been a long day,_' Hermione thought tiredly, muttering the password to the Gryffindor common room before entering into the hushed silence of the common room that was broken by mere whispers of conversation.

"Oh, so you're finally back from visiting those-those _scum_."

Well, that had previously been broken only by mere whispers of conversation, Hermione decided. Now it was broken by a rather red-face red head that had taken it upon himself to harass her to the point where she quite literally snapped in half.

Hermione growled a little under her breath as she turned to face – oh god, he was her boyfriend, wasn't he? _Why _had she ever agreed to _that_? The teenager adjusted the stack of book she was carrying, steeling herself for the red head's rant.

"I mean, honestly, 'Mione, I don't know why you bother with the slimy gits, they'll only stab you in the back!"

Scowling, Hermione set down the books on a near-by table, where the Gryffindor group was working. Other than herself, Ron, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Neville (all around said table researching) and some rather timid-looking third years in one corner, the common room was devoid of life.

"I brought more books for you to check through," she stated, jumping a little when Ron wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her close.

With no warning, Ron's lips were suddenly upon hers, in a frenzy of clacking teeth and mashing of tongues that she assumed was _supposed _to be a kiss; one which she didn't respond to.

"I've missed you," the boy declared as he drew back. When Hermione felt his hand settle on one of her breast, she was certain she knew exactly _what _he missed, and it had little to do with _who_.

She pushed him away, backing up a little.

"I've be busy, Ron. Our best friend and his mate are in a coma, and we don't know how to pull them out of it before they _die_."

From the look on Ron's face, it was easy to tell he had clearly been expecting a heartfelt 'Oh, I've missed you to, Ron!' followed by passionate kissing and a rather long period of time where neither returned from the boy's dormitories. However, scowling, he replied all the same.

"I knew getting involved with a Slytherin was dangerous," he stated, not noticing Hermione's dark glare "but no, no one listens to me. Oh, I'll get that little ferret; I bet he used a spell on Harry, or a curse. I always knew he practised the dark arts-…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, RON!" Hermione yelled, grinning on the inside at the look of complete shock on her boyfriend's face.

"For a start, to you really think Draco would put _himself _into a coma to await death? He doesn't have a death wish, Ronald! Secondly, all you ever go on about is how evil all Slytherins are; you've never even properly talked to one! Your best friend is lying in the hospital wind _dying _and instead of finding a way to get him out you're spreading lies about how he got there in the first place!"

'_Wow, this whole yelling thing really feels good,'_ Hermione decided, before continuing her rant.

"You call yourself his best friend, but instead of being supportive; helpful, you've been against this whole thing from the start! The Slytherins though; now they're real friends! They spend every free minute trying to find a way to help both Draco _and _Harry; and you honestly believe you're better than them, sitting here with your pathetic little group complaining about how evil they are? You make me sick!"

By this point, the other occupants of the room were watching with interest – clearly in a state of shock – and Ron's ears were bright red.

"Hermione-…" He reached out towards her "-oh god, please no. Please don't tell me they've got you to?"

The Gryffindor female felt like laughing at his stupidity, feeling the anger and frustration bubbling up inside of her. So she did; laugh that is. She laughed, gaining many anxious looks, taking quite a while to calm down.

"Ah, Ron, you poor, poor, deprived individual," she finally managed to gasp out "how small your world must be."

Hermione straightened up, her face turning stern and angry once more.

"Step outside the bloody box, Ronald! Not everything is black or white, red or green, Gryffindor or Slytherin! This isn't about petty grudges or childish fights; the world is at war, Ron! Harry and Draco are both in a fucking coma, just lying there in hospital wing whilst you just sit around like nothing is happening, awaiting their deaths; I am talking about life or fucking death, Ronald, get that into your head!

Not all Gryffindor's are good, not all Slytherin's are evil; not everything is about bloodlines and selfish pride. When you're ready to except that, Ron, come and find me," she turned away, heading towards the portrait whole, stopping only when she heard Ron speaking again.

"W-w-what are you saying?"

Hermione gave a small sigh, replying simply;

"I'm breaking up with you."

The boy lunged forward, grabbing her wrist painfully hard so she couldn't move away again.

"No, Hermione, please, you don't mean that! This isn't you, Hermione, break through the spell, I know the girl I love is still in there-…"

_SLAP. _The angry sound of skin coming into harsh contact with skin echoed around the completely silent room, the thick atmosphere choking the occupants as they watched the two in their own personal war.

Ron raised a hand to his stinging cheek, dropping Hermione's wrist as he did so. The girl – no, woman – in question massaged her fingers, ready to deliver another blow.

"The girl you love?" She spat fiercely, cheeks flushed with anger "Don't mock me, Ronald Weasley. I haven't changed, and nor, for that matter, have you. I think _that_ is the entire problem!"

In a flick of brown hair and a few simple stutters from the stunned male, Hermione was gone.

Hermione closed the portrait door behind her calmly, letting a proud smirk of all things to grace her lips.

'_I've been spending far too much time with Slytherins…' _

DmHp

The first thing Draco noticed when he opened his eyes was that his head hurt, and the painful throbbing was making it almost impossible to move. He gently massaged his temples, before sitting up when the pain finally dulled down.

The next thing he noticed was that this, this plane of reality upon which he currently sat, was completely unrecognizable. From what he could gather from his little knowledge of veela's, when a veela was rejected they fell into a peaceful coma, awaiting their death. But, if he was correct, he _hadn't _been rejected, and he was quite sure Harry had been the first to collapse.

So the immediate question that flew into his mind was where, then when, the how and then what the bloody hell was he supposed to do now?

Hearing movement to his left, the blonde looked around, his eyes falling upon the dark haired, bright eyed figure of his mate.

"Well shit," he said. That was a surprise.

Harry stood up slowly, taking a moment to gain his balance as he stood unsteadily upon weary legs, then stumbled over to where the veela was still sitting, before collapsing to the ground beside him.

And, as he walked, Draco became entranced with his mate's body; Harry was still completely topless.

"Where are we?" He asked, his voice cracking from his lack of energy, and his eyes drifting closed.

"Well…would you be mad if I said I had no idea?"

Harry cracked an eye open, blinking up at the blonde teenager sat beside him, then groaned and closed his eyes again.

"Okay, then what happened?"

Draco sighed, lying back down next to his mate. Well, at least they were being civil.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, managing to keep his voice soft and not letting his frustration enter it.

Harry heaved a sigh, curling a little onto his side, and promptly fell asleep.

It was then, as he stared across at the peaceful form of his sleeping mate, that Draco noticed the scars.

"Well, fuck me."

DmHp

When Pansy Parkinson opened the door to the Slytherin common room later that night to yell very loudly at the person who dared to come knocking, she did not expect to be greeted by Hermione Granger. Nor did she expect said Hermione Granger wearing a _very _Slytherin like smirk, looking rather flushed but happy none the less.

And so, I the 7th year Slytherin girl's dormitories, the very first inter-house sleepover was held, the two girls involved staying up late discussing how Hermione Granger, Gryffindor know it all and proud girlfriend of Ronald Weasley, had managed to not only dump her weasel of a boyfriend, but defend the Slytherin community and slap the stupid idiot in the process, all in one very successful nights work.

Needless to say, when the school heard the news in the morning – confirmed only by the fact that Hermione was sitting at the Slytherin table beside a certain Pansy Parkinson, talking and laughing quite happily – the Gryffindor house mourned the loss of their very best student to the snake pit.

The rest of the school, of course, laughed at the story of how Ronald Weasley had been dumped the previous night by a very irate but correct Hermione Granger.

And Ronald Weasley? Well, he wasn't seen at breakfast, and when he finally showed up at dinner the following night his hair was still dyed pink and yellow, not to mention the fact that his skin was a very putrid shade of green with half a dozen tattoo type snakes crawling all over his body.

Needless to say, after a happy high-five, two girls at the Slytherin table didn't stop laughing all night.

DmHp

Poppy frowned down at her favourite patient as the boy rolled to one side a little, curling slightly into himself. It was funny how he was now lying face the bed that Draco was in next to him, but she didn't bother to pay any attention to that fact as she quickly performed the first charms that came to her head to check the boy over; neither had moved in days, so this little roll could be a sign that something major was happening.

Finding nothing, the nurse gave a disappointed sigh, before muttering a quick good night in case the boys could hear her and dimming the lights with a flick of her wand. She drew the curtains around the area the two boys were being kept in, quickly replacing the privacy charms before shuffling off to her office.

It was in that moment that Draco Malfoy rolled over fully to face his mate, and let a sigh escape from his lips.

DmHp

Draco rolled over to face his mate, letting a pitiful sigh escape from his lips. How could he not have noticed those, he wondered, tracing over the many scars with his eyes, resisting the urge to encase the smaller boy in his arms and never let him go.

The criss-crossing scars on his arms looked painful but old, a clear sign of self harm – the realization of which caused Draco to choke on sad the sad tears that were threatening to brim over.

However, the bigger, deeper and harsher scars – not to mention slowly fading bruises – that littered Harry's body made the tears be replaced with a violent anger, a wish to hurt whoever had hurt _his _mate, _his _Harry.

His? Was Harry really his? Draco smiled sadly, moving a few strands of hair out of the dark-haired boy's face, thinking over the truth of the situation; they were mates, but Harry was in no way his. Although he had been aright with it at first, the Gryffindor had clearly expressed his hatred for the blonde, his loathing and disappointment at this situation he had been forced into. No, Harry was definitely not his.

The blonde soon found tears in his eyes once more; Harry would never really be his. He must have rejected Draco in his heart already, not stating so out loud because of that stupid hero-complex that couldn't decide whether or not to let the Slytherin die. Well, Draco could decide. He wanted his mate to be happy, and clearly that wasn't so.

"Harry…" Draco whispered softly, running his fingers down the Gryffindor's cheek. Taking a deep breath, he finally made the decision.

"Harry, I love you so much, please understand that. It's funny; no matter how much I love you, I know you will never love me back."

A single tear trailed down his cheek as he took a deep breath, steeling himself as he made the most important decision of his life.

"I love you Harry, and I want to see you happy. Good-bye, my love."

Leaning down, Draco placed the softest of kisses onto Harry's lips, before wiping his tears away. Then without looking back, he turned his back on his mate and walked away. Perhaps death would give him a little comfort, for he certainly wouldn't find that in life.

DmHp

Blaise shook his head as he sighed heavily, leaning back in the hard plastic chair he had conjured. Blinking back tears he hadn't thought he would ever cry, he returned to watching the pale form of his best friend as the blonde lay unmoving on the bed in front of him.

He was very rarely worried about anyone, but as he continued to gaze at the still body, he found a sense of worry and dread forming inside him. Being a Slytherin made no difference, he still cared for his friend and even, dare he say it, the Gryffindor on the other bed a few feet away.

And then, in the peace and quiet of the hospital wing, he began to wonder how it had all come to this.

DmHp

Harry, still lying unmoving as tears began to flow gently down his cheeks, wanted to go after his mate; knew he should and knew he would never live with himself if he let the blonde simply walk away. But, in the quiet peace of the foggy atmosphere, he found that he didn't.

It wasn't his fault. _Liar. _He hadn't done anything wrong. _Liar_. He had only been trying to protect Draco, only wanted him to be happy…

He opened his eyes, the swirling grey of the fog intensified by the tears still present in his eyes, and rolled onto his back. So the veela loved him? Is that what he thought? Did he really love him? Surely it was just the veela genes…

_Liar_.

DmHp

In that little reality on the edge of all others, where the shockingly pure crystal white met with the obsidian black in a harsh clashing of opposites and parallel, the single strand of power, of energy, stretched to its full length, many more cracks forming between the two colours.

And, in the deafening silence and the darkness cast bright shadows over the realm of unreality, that one, single strand that was made of two separate strands of power entwined together, snapped.

DmHp

A/N; okay, that wasn't really as long as I thought it would be, but I'm already writing the next chapter and this one is an entire week early; sorry guys, it's another cliff-hanger! Big apologies for spelling/grammar; it's 11:50pm because I just got in and I forgot to post this earlier this evening so…I just wanted to get it up!

So, here's the deal; you review and I'll update just as quickly as I did this time, and I'll make it a kind of nice chapter (I'm actually thinking of finally writing their first kiss, but I don't know…) and if you don't I won't update at all. Hehe, evil, no?

Edited; 30-05-07


	12. Catch me when I fall

A/N; excuse me a moment please, dearest readers, whilst I express my shock in a completely unique and original way (little kids, cover your ears) HOLY FUCK!

'Ahem'. Yeah, sorry about that, I just needed to get it out of my system, and here's why; this story has earned over 200reviews! So, right now, I'm really really, really really happy, and would like to thank _everyone_ who has reviewed in the past, even if it was just one of those little ones consisting of one word; update. And also, thank you to all the readers who have made it this far; to me eleven chapters is a lot (this coming from the girl that very rarely manages to keep a story going) so I'm amazed – but very happy – that you're all still reading this!

Dislaimer; geese, I hate this thing. I mean, who exactly wants to go around telling everybody that something absolutely brilliant isn't theirs? Oh, and if they did (go around telling everybody that Harry Potter belonged to them), who's stupid enough to believe them?...please don't raise your hand to that question, I will be scarred for life.

Warnings; 'sigh' Yep, I hate this bit to. It's boring, and I can't write anything about Harry and Draco in it! Slash/yaoi/shonen-ai or whatever you want to call it, though it's not yaoi really at this point in the story; sorry people! Mentions of abuse/self harm, inappropriate language (what can I say, bad habit) and…well, that's about it really.

Speech "blah"

Thoughts '_Isn't this bit boring to?'_

Warning; I hope this chapter's okay for everyone, it switches times quite a lot and replays events from another pov. I hope it's okay…enjoy!

DmHp

Draco gasped a little as the first tidal wave of pain washed over him, but there was no fault in his step. He had been walking for a while now, he assumed, into that bleak mist that seemed to cover the entire plain of reality, and had begun to wonder when he would find the end of his existence; it hurt, to be so far away from his mate, and it hurt to know he was willingly walking away from it all. But, he had his reasons.

Draco didn't want to get hurt.

DmHp

Blaise shifted uncomfortably in the chair, yawning as he shook off the last of the sleep that had overcome him a few hours ago. He was still sat by his friend's bed in the infirmary, and now stood up to leave.

He walked a few steps away from the Slytherin and his mate, before turning around just to watch them again.

It was odd, he figured; the last time he looked Draco had been facing Harry…

DmHp

Hermione was, for the first time in a little over two weeks, lacking a book.

During the time Harry and Draco had been in a coma, she had only ever spent her free time with her nose in a book of some sort, but now…now, she was sat in the Slytherin seventh year girl's dormitories, with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in one hand as she conversed with the Slytherin girl who she had begun to regard as a best friend.

"They're figuring it out for themselves, Hermione, I bet you anything," Pansy spoke softly, taking a sip at her own drink as she made herself more comfortable opposite the Gryffindor on her bed "it's not like they'll sit around and do nothing."

"Yeah but…how do we know that they're not really anywhere? Maybe it's just like they're sleeping; they don't know what's going on around them and they're not on some other plain of existence…Pansy, they may really be dying."

The Slytherin ran a shaky hand through her hair, before drawing a deep breath.

"I know," she said firmly, staring the other girl squarely in the eyes "but I also know that Draco for one won't die without a fight. In fact, if I know him – and I'm sure that being one of his closest friends for over twelve years means I do – he's currently looking for a nice, sturdy barge pole to hit Death round the head with."

Her look of utter sincerity made Hermione positive that was indeed what the blonde was currently doing.

DmHp

Snape glared at the third year class as their constant, aggravating chatter grew to a head-ache inducing level, effectively shutting every student who noticed up. The rest looked around the room as the noise level dimmed, trying to find the reason…and upon seeing their Potions teacher's 'shooting-daggers' look, they instantly returned to work; in silence.

In truth, Severus had taken the news of his godson's – and though he wouldn't admit it, the foolish Gryffindor's too – coma worse then anyone else, though no one who knew him personally was too shocked. Hermione had merely been a little shocked before appearing thoughtful the first time he visited the ward whilst she happened to be there, and she had been relatively civil ever since.

The potions professor was worried, just as he had every right to be, and was also angry at himself for not finding a suitable potion to wake the two boys. Of course, he mused, this was a veela he was dealing with; any potion would have to have major modifications anyway.

Snape looked back down at his parchment of notes, scribbling down something else he deemed useful to changing the potions he worked with; he had been doing it none stop for the past two weeks – messing around and modifying potions that is.

He growled under his breath as the students began to talk again, starting with a few hushed whispers which turned into a constant humming of chatter before it exploded into a full blown, head-ache inducing chatter again, the kind that spread across the room like a Mexican wave; a never ending, loud, annoying Mexican wave that the potions master _hated. _

All four houses suffered a sever loss of points that day, and Snape's reputation for being the meanest teacher in the whole of Hogwarts increased a good few notches.

DmHp

Harry groaned as yet another bout of pain shot through his body, and he began to massage his temples in an attempt to stop the nagging pain there. It was funny, he decided, he had never felt so completely cold before…

'_I miss Draco_…'

'_I feel cold, Draco was always so warm, comforting…'_

The dark haired boy shivered, closing his eyes.

'_I feel like death himself…I wonder how Draco's doing…_'

_**He's dying, you git, how do you think he's doing?**_

Ah, a big welcome back to Harry's conscience. (A/N I know in the last chapter Harry's conscience was just in italics, but I wanted to differ it more from Harry's thoughts so it's now also bold. Just thought I'd mention it…)

'_It's not my fault.'_

_**Liar.**_

'_There's nothing I can do,_'

_**Liar. **_

'_It's not like I care anyway…'_

_**Liar. **_

Harry had his conscience to thank for the idea to follow the blonde veela that he did _not _in anyway shape or form care about. Nope, not at all.

DmHp

Draco, panting heavily as he wiped a trail of sweat from his for-head, stumbled in a moment of dizziness, and the blonde heard a pitiful moan that had no doubt been emitted by his own lips. Why couldn't death just be swift and painless?

He never expected two, strong arms to catch him as he fell.

DmHp

Poppy's head shot up as she heard a loud noise come from her infirmary, and she strained her ears to try and catch any other sounds. All was quiet. Perhaps it had been her imagination.

Frowning, she looked back down at the book she had been reading; looking for other ways that didn't involve a potion to wake the two boys that had been placed in her care a little over two weeks ago. It seemed like such a long time ago, but they had never woken…

Another noise reached the nurse's ears, and muttering angrily to herself she set the book down and stepped out of her office to investigate. There was no one there.

A second year student, who had come in the day before with stomach problems, was sleeping off a potion in a quiet corner of her infirmary, but other then that the hospital wing was empty; as it should be.

Poppy's frown deepened, and she pulled out her wand as she walked towards the two beds at the farthest end of the hospital wing that were surrounded by one of the ever-white curtains that seemed to be so popular in the wing. Drawing back the curtain in one swift motion, she raised her lit wand to give survey the miniature ward.

The two teenage boys were still in a coma, just the way she had left them.

Well, other than the fact that the blonde haired veela was once again turned to face his mate.

DmHp

Pansy looked up in shock at the sound of a delighted squeal, and she glanced questioningly over at the Gryffindor teenager that was sat opposite her.

"Honestly, must you be so loud?" Blaise asked, rubbing one ear absentmindedly. Both girls ignored him, causing Blaise to roll his eyes at Crabbe and Goyle who were near-by.

"Listen to this," Hermione demanded, leaning forward in her chair as she read a passage from one of the many books they had been studying

"In 1786, a case was reported of a veela and their mate who had _both _been sent into a coma after a period of difficulties within their relationship. Local healers declared that there was nothing they could do, and the couple were put under heavy surveillance. Veela experts at the time deduced the most likely cause of the coma was the fact that one the pair had begun to push the other away for their own protection, fearing the love they felt was based purely upon their Veela instincts. In retaliation, the other also began to pull apart, fearing their mate was rejected them. The mutual misunderstanding and complications this caused to the relationship put too big a strain upon their fragile bond – which had not been completed - and therefore sent the couple into a medically unstable coma.

Another instance of the same nature occurred again in 1792, later in 1834, and then once more in 1903. No case has been reported since,"

"Well?" Pansy asked, setting her own book down upon the table "What happened?"

Hermione's face fell dramatically as she scanned the page in front of her.

"Nothing. They never woke up and died three years later in their 'sleep'."

DmHp

Relief washed over Draco as a sense of warmth and comfort encase him, the two arms providing a safe haven from the world and his woes. The person – he wasn't really paying attention – lowered him gently to the ground, kneeling beside him as they took his hand in theirs.

The world was spinning, but as he closed his eyes and a feeling of sickness overcame him, there was still only one word which stood out in his mind.

'_Harry…_'

Not wanting to open his eyes for fear of his wish being proven wrong, the blonde settled for squeezing the other hand a little tighter as the person talked to him, though he barely heard a single word of it.

Through the fog that had clouded his mind, and through the hardly bearable pain that still seemed to be bugging him, four, little, insignificant words reached his delicate ears;

"…god I love you…"

DmHp

Setting down the book once more, Poppy decided she had had enough. Pulling out her wand and lighting it, she once more stepped out of her office and into the hospital wing. There was another noise, coming somewhere from the left corner, and so there she looked…but that was where the two boys were, safe and _quiet _in a coma…

Well, that was what she assumed anyway.

DmHp

Almost immediately the pain began to dim, fading away into the background as if it had never been there in the first place. Slowly, as though the world was suddenly coming back into existence, Draco became aware of tiny, little things that may not have even mattered.

Like, for example, the fact that his hand was still being held firmly in someone else's, and that that someone was crying softly as they spoke. He picked up on the tones of distress in that person's voice, and not only the underlying tones of pain and anguish but also _love _that were so subtle he had never noticed them in his previous state.

And then, as the foggy screen lifted from where it had blanketed over his thoughts, Draco opened his eyes.

Smiling softly, the blonde reached up his free hand, wiping away the trails of tears that had been sliding down his mate's face. Harry gasped, only just noticing that the veela was awake, and then proceeded to apologize over and over for being such an idiot and-…

…and he never got to finish his sentence, because a pair of soft, pink lips met his, effectively stopping any attempts at speech he had been wishing to make.

DmHp

For a measureless period of time, the one strand hovered as two, now parted, doing little but shimmering in the darkness and light around them. The frayed ends glittered desperately in a vain attempt at rejoining the two strands, creating one, solid bond once more, but to no avail.

So it was surprising, of course, when the two strands, singularly parted and now standing alone, were rejoined, re-entwined by a much smaller, much stronger strand of power, pulsing with live energy.

This new strand, the one shaped out of un-reality that had appeared from within the confines of un-space, was green. No, not the lovely type of emerald green that was displayed by glittering gems that reflected the light, or that so commonly appeared as an eye colour in unrealistic – or even realistic – fictions and tales, or even the dark, forest-type green that represented all things Slytherin…

No, this shade of green was unique, full of life and energy. It was type of green that could be seen reflected in fresh morning dew swaying from a thin blade of grass after a calm nights rain; the type of green that contained within it the shimmering gold and scarlet red rays from an autumn dawn, the type of green that reflected the angry reds, happy yellows, vibrant oranges, content violets and loving pinks of the near-by flowers, the type of green that showed within it the muddy browns and darker greens of surrounding thicket and even the fresh water blue of a bright morning sky…

In reality, it wasn't really green at all; it was a colour that represented new, bright mornings and peaceful, content dusks, a colour that showed autumn for sweeping away dead leaves and the spring for growing new ones.

But, still, it was a strand of power, and it fixed the veela bond; that was all that really mattered.

DmHp

Harry didn't know how long he'd spend stumbling around half-blindly in the thick expanse of fog that blocked his path, but the pain (which felt like someone hammering a blunt nail into his head whilst carving the image of a heart into his chest with a spoon) had dulled considerably, telling him he was nearing his target.

When he finally spotted the blonde, stumbling with uncertainty, an ice-quilt was laid over all doubts, numbing any negative thoughts as he dashed forward with seeker precision to catch the veela he cared for so much.

Lowering the blonde safely to the ground, Harry grabbed onto his hand, holding it tightly as the first tear made its way down his cheek.

"Oh Draco…oh god, Draco, I never meant for this to happen, it wasn't supposed to go this far…oh god, I am so sorry, you have to understand, I only wanted to protect you, I never wanted you to die – oh god, Draco, please don't die, stay with me, I _need _you,'

Harry knew he was babbling. He wasn't sure if he cared.

"I came to realize…I got thinking, Draco, god I love you…I never told you, I have to tell you that Draco, I care for you so much, I was so damn _scared_!"

He felt soft skin come into contact with his cheek, and his tears being wiped away. He gasped, raising his head to look at the blonde veela who was looking up at him with glistening eyes.

"Oh god, Draco, thank god you're okay, I thought…oh, Draco, I'm sorry, I-…"

Harry's eyes flew open wider in surprise as Draco used a hand to balance himself and raised himself up to sit in front of Harry, before closing his lips smoothly over the younger teenager's.

After getting over the initial shock, the dark haired teenager found himself responding to the kiss, tracing his tongue lightly over Draco's lower lip. Almost in reply, Draco nipped a little on Harry's own lip, causing him to gasp and thereby giving the blonde enough time to slip his tongue into Harry's mouth.

Draco pulled himself upright into a better position, placing one hand on Harry's lower back and the other gracefully on the other boy's cheek. Harry wrapped one arm around the back of Draco's neck, pulling him closer.

Though afterwards Harry had no idea how they had managed it, Draco slowly eased the other boy backwards so he was lying down in a more comfortable position, straddling him as Harry wrapped both is arms around the blonde's neck; neither ever breaking the kiss.

Gasping for the much needed oxygen the two boys were lacking, the couple pulled apart, merely looking at each other as they regained their breaths.

"I-…" Harry opened his mouth to speak, most likely ready to apologize, but Draco merely silenced him again by closing the gap once more and placing a sweet, gentle and lingering kiss on the darker haired boy's lips.

"Love you too."

DmHp

Holding her wand up a little higher, Poppy surveyed the room again, still not finding the source of the noise. So, with her eyebrows knitted closely together, she began to walk back to her office…

…the nurse spun around, glaring daggers at the room in general. That time she _definitely _heard it, something…something…

Poppy turned to look at the innocent looking curtains that surrounded her two favourite patients, the two boys who she had come to care about more then anyone other student – or indeed teacher – in the entire school. It had come from behind there.

After performing a few charms to check the wards – which were still sturdy and unbroken – Poppy reached out towards the curtains, pulling them back in one, quick motion.

The clatter of her wand as it made contact with the floor represented the shock that ran through her body at the sight that met her eyes.

DmHp

A/N; ahh, another chapter, another cliffy. Heheh…sorry 'bout that, people. But, look at it this way, at least they kissed!!!!!!

Lol, anyway, again, this chapter is kinda' short…8 pages….'sigh'. I stopped it here because I wanted to have something interesting to write in the next chapter, not some boring drivel, so, I will try and make the next one longer. Oh god, I just made another stupid promise that I'll have to keep, didn't I…?

You know the deal, you review, I'll update!

Edited; 30-05-07


	13. Life is good

A/N; (big, big grin) I'm in a happy mood, guess why? Well…I got lots of reviews! Thank you, lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and…well, you get the idea! Here, all of you may have a cookie!

Disclaimer; (sigh) for those of you that bother to read these stupid things, I don't own anything. Got that? Good. Although, you can sue if you really want, I can give you the little bit of lint that's occupying the otherwise empty space in my purse…

Warnings; mentions of abuse/self harm, inappropriate language – though I think you're pretty much used to it by now – and slash…don't like don't read!

Speech "blah"

Thoughts '_blah_'

DmHp

The kiss – well, kiss_es _in all honesty – had been…electric, brilliant, glorious and all-round spectacular in Harry's mind. He couldn't figure out how he had survived all those years without regular kissing sessions…well, he was sure he would be able to persuade Draco to help him make up for all that lost time later.

And then, when Draco had told him he loved him…Harry knew he could have died peacefully in that moment and gone to heaven with no regrets. But then, he decided, he didn't _really _want to die, because as far as he was concerned he would have missed out on all the good stuff. So, lying there with Draco hovering on top of him, the dark haired boy grinned for the first time in over two weeks.

And that, he realized, was when he felt the first tug, and by the puzzled look on the veela's face, Harry guessed Draco must have felt it too. It was strange, because at one moment he had been in a totally blissful state and the next…the next he was in agony.

DmHp

Ron Weasley had never, not once in all his seventeen years of life, thought himself as jealous. Oh, sure, he had little…_moments _where perhaps he had over-reacted to something (coughtriwizardtournamentcough), or perhaps wanted something he had never had before, and yes, alright, there had been times when he had wondered why others got what he didn't, but he had never really been _jealous_, right? Well, denial is of course, merely ignorant bliss.

But still, never had he really considered himself jealous. But, when he watched as Hermione walked out of the portrait door, he was jealous. Oh no, perhaps that one, singular word didn't _quite _cover it; he was furious, he was upset, and in his eyes his heart was lying shattered on the floor…though thankfully it wasn't, as the house elves had a big enough work load as it was without having to clean up blood stains from an already dark-red carpet.

And the reason for his anger; his jealousy? Harry bloody Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Funny really, he had never in his weirdest dreams thought that his _best friend_ could turn on him, but in reality the chosen one was just as dark as he who-must-not-be-named himself. How could he have fallen into that trap and believed Potter was a saviour? How had he not noticed the darkness conquering the other teenager?

And how the hell had he managed to let his girlfriend, the girl he loved so much, fall into the same trap?

Potter had _everything_, which now included the one thing that was most important to him.

Oh yes, _now _Ronald Weasley was jealous.

DmHp

Jealousy, it seems, is a family trait; one which the Weasley family seemed to have inherited. And, as a flash of red hair darted around the corner from the hospital wing, it could be deduced that Ginny Weasley was also jealous.

Hadn't she always been the one there for Harry? She had had a crush on the dark-haired teenager long before that stupid Slytherin had interrupted, why couldn't Harry see that? No matter, as soon as the boy woke up _she _would be there for him again, and _she _would prove to him that the blonde was not worthy of his attention. Yes, she would win him over.

After all, what man wouldn't love a jealous red-haired Gryffindor who would willingly put out for any man with money?

DmHp

Pain…the pain was almost unbearable, but as soon as Draco registered this fact, it was gone. And then; nothing. No feeling of happiness, no Harry underneath him, no _anything _underneath or around him.

But, in a moment where the air in the hospital wing seemed to completely still as though waiting for something important, two pairs of eyes snapped open.

DmHp

White. Pure white. Pure white annoyingness that completely surrounded him in a way which called only described as bloody blinding, not to mention _annoying_, if he hadn't already stated as such.

'_Hospital wing_…' Harry vaguely registered in the back of his mind. Well, that was a start; he was in hospital wing. The curtains told him at least that much.

Through the eyes that still had no glasses, Harry could make out only blurry shapes, and the darkness helped with that fact very little. So, fumbling around on the bedside table next to him, the dark haired teenager reached for his glasses.

'_Was it all a dream then? I wonder…_'

"Draco!"

The blonde, lying on the bed opposite him, was the first thing he saw when his glasses were placed firmly on his nose. And, though he didn't know what terms they were on - seeing as it had most likely all been a dream - Harry threw off the blankets and made to stand.

DmHp

Hermione rolled over onto her left side, staring at the dark red curtains that surrounded her bed. She blinked a few times, sighed in frustration, then rolled back the other way.

Muttering a few carefully chosen curse words under her breath, she reached out through the curtains to her bed-side table, and grabbed the top book from the rather large pile sitting there. The teenager sat up, leaning against her pillows, then lit her wand and began to read.

If she wasn't going to sleep, she was at least going to get her best friend to wake.

DmHp

Draco moaned quietly, gently wiggling his fingers a little just to prove he still could. Then, he tore his eyes open to peer out into the darkness. Well, that was a start; it was night. He was lying in a bed. The bed was white.

Draco was rather glad to say that in all his six and a bit years at Hogwarts, he had never visited the hospital wing more than necessary (which was barely once a year, if that) but the whiteness surrounding him left no doubt that that was where he was now.

He let his eyes fall on the bed opposite him, glad to see his mate in it. The dark haired boy in question was fumbling around for his glasses, probably not even aware the blonde was awake.

Harry did eventually spot him though, most likely not realizing Draco was awake, and scrambled out of his bed. Draco sat up quickly, throwing back his covers and darting forward into the darkness just in time to catch Harry as he stumbled and fell. Together, the two teenagers crashed onto the floor, Harry in Draco's arms as they did so.

When they landed, Draco was on his back, and the dark haired boy had fallen on top of him in a…well, in a position which would have made anyone watching commit themselves to Saint Mungos' through fear of insanity; their legs entangled together, bodies chest-to-chest and with Harry's hands on either side of the blonde's head and his face inches away from the other's.

And that, they found to their disappointment, was when Poppy decided to open the curtains.

DmHp

Hermione growled under her breath as she finished re-reading the passage she had found earlier that day about the veela couples who had fallen into a coma - the same passage which, coincidently, she had read four times previously. She just didn't understand; how could four couples simply _not _wake up? The passage, of course, did little to ease the worry in her mind, and it was as she softly closed the book that she realized she was simply _not _going to sleep that night.

The young woman silently parted her curtains a little, then, after climbing out of bed, closed them again and placed several locking and warding charms upon them to stop anyone opening them only to find an empty bed. From the top of her trunk, she pulled out a few clothes – a loose pair of jeans that were torn at the knee, a dark green t-shirt and a black jumper – then dressed quickly and quietly, taking care not to wake the other occupants of the room.

On the way out of her dormitory she picked up her wand, and at the bottom of the girls' staircase she stopped to briefly consider retrieving Harry's invisibility cloak and map.

'_Nah,_' she decided, slipping out of the portrait hole '_I'm head girl; I know all the tricks in the book. Besides, I can basically do what I like anyway… so long as I don't get caught.'_

DmHp

Harry's head snapped up as he heard Poppy's wand clatter to the floor, before looking back down to meet Draco's silver grey eyes and glistening smile…maybe then, maybe if the veela was smiling…maybe it hadn't all been just a dream.

The nurse, still rather startled not by the fact that they were in a rather...ahem, _compromising_ position, but more by the fact that they were _awake _in the first place, slowly bent down to pick up her wand, shaking her head to make sure she was seeing straight.

Hissing a little at the brightness of the light from her wand, Harry shielded his eyes, allowing his eyes to adjust to the sudden change in the lighting. With a flick of her wand, the nurse had lit all the lights in the miniature ward, only serving to irritate the dark haired teenager's eyes more.

"Harry…" Harry looked down at the blonde he was still half lying upon, entranced in the eyes of the veela below him as they seemed to dance in the light "I love you."

Harry grinned broadly, then lowered his head and kissed the blonde haired Slytherin, letting Draco wrap his arms around his neck and deepen the kiss, then allowed the blonde to take complete control over their first kiss in reality.

A polite cough reminded them that the nurse was still present in the room, and the two reluctantly parted, a bright flush covering Harry's cheeks.

"I love you too," he replied, before – for the first time – noticing their position and scrambling to his feet, offering a hand to the veela to help the blonde up. Harry swayed a little, not daring to move his feet, but let a content sigh escape his lips when Draco wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, placing a gentle kiss on his temple.

When Poppy finally got around to performing the necessary charms, she didn't have the heart to split them up and stop them sharing a bed.

DmHp

Crabbe grunted in his sleep, rolling over onto one side and successfully waking the boy in the next bed along up in the process. Goyle, as had become natural for people to call him, rolled his eyes, not even bothering to try and sleep again. That was the third time he had been woken by his friend in the night, and that wasn't counting the times from previous nights in the week. So, the boy decided, as much as he liked it, sleep just wasn't meant for him that week in general.

Perhaps, he wondered, turning his mind to the situation his blonde veela friend was currently in, the coma _wasn't _really anything to do with rejection. Harry had been rather cold towards Draco after their first two days together – Merlin only knew how many times the Slytherin wanted to punch the stupid Gryffindor in the face for some of his comments or actions – so perhaps it wasn't out-right rejection that Draco suffered from, but more…suspense of not getting any answer at all? Confusion because of the fact that though Harry hadn't said _no _he hadn't said _yes _either?

Goyle frowned, furrowing his brows together as he rolled onto his back. Okay, so it wasn't rejection, it was the coldness. So, how did they cure it? And why the hell was Harry in a coma too?

'_Maybe…maybe it's killing Harry just as much to not accept Draco…maybe he loves him just as much.'_

DmHp

"Headmaster! Headmaster! Professor Dumbledore! ALBUS!" Poppy shrieked, rapping on the door of the headmaster's quarters. Barely half an hour had passed since the boys had woken, but once she was sure they were okay she had left immediately to inform the headmaster. Only problem was, it was easier said than done seeing as the headmaster was no where to be found.

The school nurse scowled, knowing she would never manage to get past the wards and get into the room herself, then turned around to look somewhere else. But really, at such a late time of night – or rather, early time in the morning; it had been a rather _late _night for the nurse as she had gotten caught up in her researching - there were few places where a headmaster of a magical school could (more like should) be.

"Well really," she mumbled under her breath as she walked, her lit wand held high above her to help her see in the darkness "always popping up and being a nuisance when he's not wanted, then disappearing into thin air when he's really needed. Typical."

She came to a halt in front of a tall oak door in the teacher's tower, knocking firmly three times upon the wood. Oh, she could still have her fun.

DmHp

The transfiguration teacher growled as she rolled onto her back, staring up at the dark red canopy surrounding her bed. Who the hell thought they had the right to wake her up at _two-thirty in the bloody morning?_

"Minerva! Rise and shine, deary, you're wanted. Minerva!"

The woman groaned, throwing back the covers. Oh yes, she knew who _that _was. Such a cheery and thoroughly irritating voice could only belong to one person, one person who – much to her dismay – she had found out some years back to be one of the worst and most annoying morning people to ever exist.

Minerva lazily slipped her arms into a long, dark blue dressing gown, then made her way out of her bedroom – grabbing her wand on the way - and crossed her small common room to the dark oak door behind which she was quite sure the school nurse was currently standing.

"Ah, there you are Minerva."

Big grin, waving hand, cheery voice. The transfiguration teacher frowned deeply, sweeping back her long hair to keep it out of her face.

"Yes?" She snapped, clutching her wand in one hand as all manner of curses and hexes ran through her head that would serve as the most delightful reward for the woman in front of her.

"Oh my, not very happy this morning, are we?"

"It's _two thirty in the damn morning_, and I have lessons _all _of tomorrow, not to mention numerous tutoring sessions and detentions that will last well into the night. What-do-you-want?"

Well, at least the nurse had the sense to look sheepish.

"Ah-yes, well, sorry about that, it's just…well, Harry and Draco are awake."

Minerva was awake instantly, tying up her dressing gown and closing the door behind her before Poppy could explain anything else. After performing a good quantity of locking charms, the professor followed the other woman down the hall-way.

"You see, they woke up about half an hour ago, and I went looking for professor Dumbledore-well, of course, _he's_ nowhere to be found, so I thought you might know, and-…"

DmHp

"Ohhhh Severus!"

Professor Snape was not, as was easy to guess from his usual, grumpy attitude, a morning person. Morning, in his eyes, did not start at 6:30am and end at midday. Actually, in truth, it _had _always started at around 6am, but after one particular morning he rather decisively changed his mind.

People should _never _be awake during the morning, and so from now on, morning would start as soon as the clock struck midnight, and end again twelve hours later.

So, yes, _two thirty-six __**did**__ indeed count as the bloody morning! _

"Severus? Oh, Severus darling, don't be ignoring me now!"

The potions master grabbed a pillow, pulling it forcefully over his head.

"Severus!"

Damn. He could _still _hear that stupid, happy, chirpy, sing-song voice accompanied by a harsh knocking upon his door. He growled, rolling over. Then over again. And then once more for luck. No use.

"Snapie-poo!"

Severus – scowling and mumbling words which were not really suitable for delicate ears – climbed out of bed, grabbing his wand and wrapping a cloak around him as he went.

"What?" He growled, flinging the door open. Then he groaned. _'No, please, anyone but he.,_'

"Good morning!" Perhaps a repelling charm against pests would work?

"My, don't we look bright and happy this morning."

'_Oh god, not her too._'

"Minerva, Poppy, what can I do for you?" Severus replied, still scowling darkly. '_Well, if Minerva's up, at least I know it's urgent._'

"Oh, come now Severus, don't be like that. I have good news," Poppy said, smiling happily up at him.

"Oh, I doubt anything could justify you waking me up at such an ungodly hour. I have a double lesson with firsts years in the morning, and then seventh years straight after; both Slytherin and Gryffindor mixes!"

The transfiguration professor winced, frowning sympathetically. "Painful," she remarked.

"Indeed," was the harsh reply, causing both women to roll their eyes.

"Well, I just thought you'd like to know Mr. Malfoy and his mate are awake, but if it's of no interest to you…"

The door snapped closed, Snape still on the other side.

Five minutes later, the potions professor followed the two women down the dimly lit corridor, fully dressed in his black, billowing robes.

Because of course, the potions master would feel lonely without his black robes billowing around his feet.

DmHp

Draco ran his hands through his mate's dark hair, revelling in the feel of the soft, silky locks as they slid past his pale fingers. His mate, Harry, was leaning up against him back-to-chest, his eyes closed as he relaxed in the comforting presence of the veela. Yes, life was good.

"Draco?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you."

Draco smiled, chuckling softly as he leaned forward to kiss the teenager on the cheek.

"I love you too, Harry."

Oh yes, life was definitely good.

DmHp

Harry just couldn't stop himself saying it. He didn't care if he sounded like an idiot, or even if he looked like one when he grinned as Draco replied; he was happy and he loved the blonde veela that he was leant up against. And, even better, the blonde loved him back.

Yes, life was very good.

The doors to the hospital wing opened almost soundlessly, only banging as they closed firmly behind the figure.

Harry's eyes snapped open at the noise and he felt Draco stiffen behind him. Smiling softly, he laid his hand over Draco's, the one that was on the end of the arm wrapped possessively around his waist.

"It's probably just Madam Promfey, Draco," Harry mumbled softly, closing his eyes again. He was too content to be bothered with opening doors, who cared who the hell it was anyway?

The curtains around their little ward parted, and light from a wand spilled into the dimly lit area. Upon noticing the lights in the 'ward', the figure pocketed their wand, closing the curtains behind them. Turning around to face the beds, they noticed the two boys sat together – awake and well – for the first time.

"Oh, Harry!"

The dark haired boy opened his eyes, wondering why everything within his vision was brown, and why it felt like all the air was being squeezed out of him.

'_Oh, that's why_,' he decided, chuckling as the worried Gryffindor girl finally released her grasp.

"And Draco too, I'm so glad to see you're awake!"

Much to the Slytherin's surprise, he too was soon engulfed by Hermione, pulling back from Harry as to not harm him. When the young woman pulled away she was grinning happily – and the grin only widened when the two returned to their former position, Harry leaning against Draco as the blonde ran his hand through his mate's hair.

"Hermione, how are you?"

"Oh no, young man, I have been worried sick about you for the past two and a half weeks, you have no right to start questioning me, mister. I want to know just what the bloody hell you think you were doing, pushing Draco away like that, and what the fuck was all that on your arms anyway? You are in big trouble, Mr. Potter, and you do not get to ask questions until you've answered mine!"

Hermione took a deep breath, then grimaced, realizing her last statement lacked any and all kind of tact. Now Harry was bound to clam up…

To her surprise, the dark haired Gryffindor laughed, smiling the first genuine smile she had seen for many, many weeks.

"Were we really asleep for that long?"

Hermione sighed, grabbing a chair and sitting down upon it. "Oh yeah, two entire weeks, not to mention the whole of this last week…"

"Very Slytherin of you," Draco whispered into Harry's ear as Hermione explained just how much time had passed, his hot breath ghosting over the other boy's sensitive skin.

"What was?"

"Changing the subject like that."

Harry blushed, pretending to concentrate on what his best friend was saying.

"Oh, but don't think you'll get out of it later that easily," Draco murmured, pressing a light kiss just below Harry's ear before leaning back up against the head of the bed.

Hermione smiled at the exchange, carrying on with what she was saying as though she hadn't noticed. Oh yes, she had realized that was a diversion tactic too, but seeing as she wanted to keep Harry in his happy mood she hadn't pressed the matter.

"-oh and I broke up with Ron, Pansy has been-…"

"Whoa, go back a little," Harry jumped in, all of his attention now fully on Hermione "you broke up with Ron?"

Hermione grinned widely, and began to launch into a blow-by-blow account of the events, only to be interrupted by the curtains being opened once more.

"Ah, Miss. Granger, how nice of you to join us."

DmHp

A/N; ah…well, yeah, another cliff-hanger…sorry 'bout that…. 'big grin'.

I'm really sorry I didn't reply to any of your reviews this time around, but thank you very much for them all anyway. Oh, and yes, I noticed there is a bit of OOCness in earlier chapters, but this is _intentional, _okay? You'll find out why later on, there is a point to Harry accepting Draco's apology so quickly – other than to move the plot along to get to the good bits of course!

Reviews will be appreciated, they put a big smile on my face every time I read them!

Edited; 30-05-07Harry Harry


	14. Simultaneous murmurs

A/N; ah, here it is, the next chapter 'grin'. You know, I actually have no idea how long this story will be in total… 'shrug' I'll just have to see how long my ideas last for!

Disclaimer; well, as it is quite obvious to see if you walk into any good book shop – and many crap ones too – I do not Harry Potter or pretty much anything related to it other than the ideas behind this story (unless they've been used before in which case I would like to state I came up with them myself and did not steal them in any way, shape or form). I would, however, like to claim ownership of the many witty and sarcastic/humorous comments littered throughout these chapters…well, if you find any let me know so I _can_ claim, okay?

Warnings; slash (yay!), mentions of abuse/self harm (awe) and technically inappropriate language (go me, and fuck off anyone who tells me to quit down on the swearing…)

_  
_DmHp

_Hermione grinned widely, and began to launch into a blow-by-blow account of the events, only to be interrupted by the curtains being opened once more._

"_Ah, Miss. Granger, how nice of you to join us."_

Hermione wrinkled her nose, grimacing as she instantly recognized the voice.

"Harry, Draco, please tell me that Professor Snape is _not _standing at the curtains right now."

Draco stifled a laugh with his hand, finding it hard to put into place _any _time of mask at the sight of Hermione's frightened little sheep imitation, and the sour look upon the Potions master's face at being awake at what he would undoubtedly deem a particularly ungodly hour of the morning.

Harry too seemed to be in similar trouble, fighting hard to keep a straight face.

"Okay then, Hermione, Professor Snape is _not _standing at the curtains right now."

The boy was met by six pairs of raised eyebrows.

"He is, however, standing right behind you, and Promfey, McGonagall and Dumbledore are over by the curtains." He finished his statement, before bursting in a laughing fit.

Hermione slowly stood up and turned around, putting on her best innocent expression, and raised her hand to give a little wave.

"Erm…Hello?"

Harry only laughed harder, sending Draco into a bout of laughter as well; a deep, dignified laugh that brightened up the entire room and caused everyone to gape at him in shock. Malfoy's simply _didn't _laugh.

Although, Malfoy's simply didn't fall in love with Gryffindors either, so it shouldn't have been _that _much of a surprise, right?

"What?" He asked as his laughter died down, finally noticing everyone was staring at him oddly; and of course, that damn thing in Dumbledore's eye was _twinkling _again.

"Nothing love, you just have a cute laugh," Harry replied, smiling as he raised one of Draco's hands to his lips and kissed it gently. Although, when Hermione's little murmur of "_awwwwe_," reminded him that they weren't alone anymore, he instantly dropped it…only to make sure he was holding tight onto Draco's hand again as soon as everyone was talking once more.

"Well, needless to say, this undoubtedly is the reason for a rather long meeting tomorrow morning, most likely in the comfort of the hospital wing," Dumbledore said, smiling softly at the pair on the bed. "Welcome back, gentlemen, we'll be wanting a full account of your adventures before we leave, seeing as we're all already awake. Poppy, any important news on their health?"

"None, headmaster. As far as I can tell, they are perfectly fine, if not a bit drained and weary; naturally they'll be spending the next two days in my care, and a further three days resting up. Their magic levels will be quite low, but they can return to school on Wednesday, if they really must," the nurse replied, frowning. If she had any say in it, the two teenagers would spend the next week or so in the hospital wing, and then a further week in bed but…it was their final year and she understood the importance of their N.E.W.T's; if the two boys were able to handle classes, they would simply have to attend.

"Well then, Boys…"

"Ah, actually headmaster," the nurse began, stepping forward a little more "I'd prefer it if we left all interrogation until the morning. It really isn't _that _important, seeing as they're already awake, and they're bound to be tired. The amount of strain upon their magic will be incredibly draining upon their energy levels, so I would like them to sleep, you see…"

Dumbledore cast his eyes over the two teenagers again, then nodded shortly.

"All right then, we'll be back some time tomorrow. Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, sweet dreams," the headmaster winked at them, gave a cheery little wave, then left the little ward.

Minerva sighed, sitting down on the empty bed and yawning. "Why is _he _such a morning person?"

The students and Poppy laughed, and even Snape managed to give a small smile at the rhetorical question. Oh, and seeing as he was awake, the potions professor was allowed to have a little fun, right?

"Draco, it's good to see you awake," he said, giving a small smile, and then a short nod to Harry who grinned back "and of course, Miss. Granger…well, one has to wonder what the head girl – not to mention our most trusted student - is doing out of bed after curfew…"

Hermione grinned sheepishly, twirling her wand innocently in one hand.

"Well, you see, I was hearing noises, and naturally it was my duty to come and investigate…"

The transfiguration professor waved a hand dismissively at her, standing up again. "No matter, Miss. Granger, I'm sure you were merely doing your job…"

Hermione's smile widened, nodding her thanks to the head of Gryffindor. Severus merely rolled his eyes, already having known the girl would be let off for running around so late at night, then after giving the two boys one last glance and a nod, the professor swept from the room…his trusty robes billowing out behind him.

DmHp

Draco couldn't help but smile as his favourite professor left the room, barely even paying attention as McGonagall said goodnight to them both and followed the potions teacher out; after, of course, advising Hermione to return to her dormitory.

Poppy also left the little ward, giving Hermione time to say goodbye before returning with two glasses of a thick, dark blue substance. She placed the two on the table, instructed them both to drink one full glass each then left the room, dimming the lights with a flick of her wand.

"Well, that was an eventful hour, wasn't it?"

Draco chuckled merrily at Harry's statement as the smaller boy moved to get more comfortable on the bed, gulping down his glass of potion and motioning for Draco to do the same.

As he placed the glass back down, Draco felt the tell tale effects of a sleeping potion settle over him, so laid back down with an arm wrapped protectively over his mate - who in turn snuggled deeper into the hold, his head tucked neatly under Draco's.

"Goodnight, Harry."

The teenager in question, already succumbing to the peaceful but forceful pull of the potion, barely managed a feeble "G'night…" before drifting off to sleep.

DmHp

"Albus," Minerva paused as the headmaster looked at her over his half-moon spectacles, choosing her following words correctly.

"Yes, Minerva?"

"When we came to find you, earlier this evening, you were in the dungeons…"

Dumbledore sighed, laying down the papers he was holding carefully on the desk.

"You want to know why I was down there, correct?"

The Transfiguration teacher simply nodding as a reply.

"One of the prefects reported a disturbance in the area; I was merely investigating the matter further."

"Disturbance?"

"Yes, it's a rather…odd matter, to say the least. One corridor, leading to the Slytherin dormitories; the prefects suspect a number of dangerous curses have been placed on the suits of armour in that one corridor. One of those prefect suspects…the prefect suspects that the armour is being used to spy on the Slytherin students."

Minerva's eyes opened widely, her mouth forming a little 'o'. "W-Why would anyone spy on the students? Who, for that matter? Do they have evidence?"

Dumbledore's twinkle dimmed further than it had been previously, as he sighed deeply once more.

"I don't know, my good woman. As for evidence, the students…well, some of the students in the Slytherin house went to their prefect to complain that several other people suddenly know all their secrets.

The trouble is, Minerva, that the Slytherin students – or so I'm told – are nothing like the characters they play when in the midst of other students. When they feel safe, for example in their own common room, they drop their masks and become _people_; _children_. You must have noticed how students in Slytherin have hushed conversations in their own groups, not letting anyone else hear…well, in this corridor near their common room, they begin to feel safe, as people from other houses rarely pass through. They allow themselves to speak more freely…they tell each other things, feeling _safe_.

However, the prefect suspects that someone is spying, listening to secrets, conversations; that kind of thing, and using what they know to undo the students out in the open.

Minerva, the rest of the school does not _know –_truly know -any single Slytherin, so any blackmail material is greatly appreciated. It seems that it has become a rather grave but provitable business among the elder years.

And yes, Minerva, people have been caught at it; selling secrets, that is. The Slytherin house no longer feels safe, and I do not personally blame them. The suits have been checked time and time again but…Minerva, the Slytherin students are no longer talking. If what they say somehow gets relayed back to the dark lord…there are teenagers with parents as Death Eaters in every house, they just don't get much publicity. It would be very easy to find out which students aren't loyal by spying on them, and the Slytherin students _will _get killed for it."

Minerva wiped at her eyes, willing the small droplets of water gathering there to go away.

"That's such a cruel thing…can't you remove the spells?"

The headmaster shook his head "It is strong magic, and the armour has been sealed into place. It will take at least two weeks for Severus to brew the potion to remove the spells, then I shall personally remove all suits of armour from the dungeons and place several_ more _warding spells. You have to understand, all the halls are _already _warded against such things, it takes a very powerful spell to over-come them."

"I do not wish to believe that any of my students are capable of such a thing."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, picking up the papers again.

"Exactly," he replied, not looking at her face "that's why I don't think it's the students who did it."

DmHp

Narcissa Malfoy had never been a particularly pleasant person when angry. As a child, she and her sister had gotten into a fight, and Narcissa's temper had flared. Bellatrix couldn't use her wand arm for weeks, and those snakes had taken ages to get off of her head. She had then had to wait many months for the hair to grow back.

No one had dared to make the blonde child angry after that.

Anyone close to her knew this one, simple fact, and therefore avoided – wherever possible – making Narcissa Malfoy angry.

Many people at Hogwarts did not know this. Those people at Hogwarts were very stupid people, who would most likely be dead by the end of the day.

They were, however, about to learn this.

"WHY THE HELL WASN'T I TOLD RIGHT AWAY?" The woman yelled, already out the door – fully dressed and wand in hand -, with Tracy following her.

Professor Snape merely rolled his eyes and followed after his child-hood friend, wishing she wouldn't yell so loud; he had a terrible head-ache, and his first lesson was barely an hour away.

"YOU - ANYONE – SHOULD HAVE WOKEN ME UP STRAIGHT AWAY; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST ONE TO SEE HIM! Well, after Harry of course but – WHY? WHY WAS I LEFT OUT OF THIS? I'LL KILL THAT NURSE, I'LL STRANGLE HER…Oh god, Draco!"

Narcissa literally ran through the doors to the hospital wing at a break neck speed, flying past the nurse who she was currently very pissed off with, and straight towards the little ward at the back. Parting the curtains, she smiled at the sight of her son and his mate curled up in each other's arms, sleeping peacefully.

"Ah, Mrs. Malfoy, they-…"

"Why," The Veela woman ground out, carefully keeping her voice low as to not wake up the couple close by "was I not woken straight away last night when they woke up?"

As she stared into the glaring eyes of the taller woman, Poppy became quite glad she had never gotten around to telling her that currently, due to the potion, nothing would wake the two boys up for a few more hours. She was quite sure that neglecting this little piece of information was, at that moment, the only thing keeping her skin in tact.

Although, now the nurse would have to think of some reason other than 'ah, well, you see, I forgot'…even though her skin was in tact _now, _Poppy wasn't so sure of her chances if the female Malfoy had heard _that_.

"I am very sorry, Narcissa, however they awoke in the very early hours of the morning and-…"

Severus raised his eye-brows as the school nurse continued to try and work her way out of a deep hole; although he was quite sure that she had actually gone and bought a bigger spade specially for the occasion and had begun for buried treasure.

'_Open mouth, insert foot_,' was the man's opinion on the matter, as he watched the youngest of the two women twirl her wand in her hand and clench her teeth together, obviously having to work hard to restrain herself from cursing the woman that was taking care of her son.

Turning around, the Potions Master looked back at the doors, which had just emitted two other professors, closely followed by five panting students who had each ran after the adults from their respective dormitories. Crowding around the once again parted curtains, the group – including Narcissa and Poppy – fell silent.

DmHp

Draco gave a small moan as he felt the effects of the potion wearing off, the real world crashing loudly back into place around him. He could hear angry voices somewhere close by, but tried to ignore them as he snuggled further down into the comforting warmth he was surrounded by.

Opening his eyes to see only blurry figures, the blonde blinked a few times before looking for the source of the warmth.

"Oh," Draco gave a hushed whisper, smiling down at the dark haired teenager in his arms. Placing a soft kiss on the boy's fore-head, he watched as his mate slowly began to wake up.

"Good morning, love," the Slytherin said softly as Harry stared up at him, causing a wide grin to break out onto Harry's face.

"G'morning," was the sleepy reply "what the hell is all that noise?" the Gryffindor asked, before moving a little closer to the veela and laying his head on the blonde's chest. Draco gave a small sigh of contentment, before looking around to find out who the voices belonged to. He winced as the doors banged open, tightening his hold protectively on his mate who gave a little giggle.

The curtains were parted again, and the room fell silent as Draco blocked out the light with one hand.

"Well," he drawled, dropping his hand "at least it's quiet now. I could do without that light though."

Harry chuckled lightly, his eyes still tightly shut in his sleepy state. He heard two sighs of 'awwwwwe' in total unison, then blushed as he realized that they weren't alone, and he was still in the veela's arms. Raising his head a little and opening his eyes, Harry looked around at all the people gathered, – only making out blurry shapes without his glasses but still able to tell there were quite a few people waiting to talk to them- before groaning and dropping his head back down onto his comfy human pillow. This time it was the blonde who chuckled, causing Harry to smile into his chest as the vibrations ran through him.

"Lazy much?"

"Mmm, 'm tired," Harry replied thickly, followed by a yawn. He opened one eye to look at Draco's face, then stuck his tongue out childishly at the amused expression written upon it. The blonde grinned madly, then reached down and caught Harry's tongue between his lips and proceeded to kiss the dark haired teenager.

Harry's eyes shot open in surprise, before he closed them and began to respond to the kiss, exploring Draco's mouth and tasting the leftovers of the potion they had taken the night before.

"Very good morning," Harry murmured when they finally broke apart, now fully awake and conscious.

"Awwwwwwwe," Hermione repeated, then broke into a fit of giggles with Pansy joining in shortly after, the two girls leaning against each other for support.

Harry flushed a bright red again, then finally reached over to grab his glasses. Draco sat up beside him, and once his glasses were firmly in place Harry joined him.

The two boys were instantly swept into a hug, as Narcissa ran forward and crushed the two boys in her arms.

"Oh, Draco, I'm so glad you're finally awake!" The woman pulled back, kissing her son on the cheek.

"And you," she said, turning stern as she pointed a finger at Harry "have a lot of explaining to do, mister. But it's good to see you awake too," and – with much embarrassment on Harry's part and much laughter on Draco's – the Malfoy woman also bent down and kissed his cheek, just as she had a few seconds before with Draco.

Once Narcissa had stepped back, Tracy also hugged each of the boys in turn, whispering in their ears as she pulled back

"See, I was right, you've always loved each other really."

The statement caused Harry to blush but give a small smile and the blonde to grin madly at her. Draco rolled his eyes at his mate's blush, wrapping and arm around his waist and kissing his cheek just to make the blush deepen – although he also received an elbow in the stomach for his antics.

"Drakie!" Pansy hugged both the boys next, also saying a few choice words to Harry before squeezing the life out of him. The boys – Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle – each only nodded as a greeting, but it was easy to tell from the smiles creeping onto their faces that they were overjoyed to see the veela and his mate awake.

"Well, boys, we're all here for the story, I'm sure you know where to start," Dumbledore said, motioning for them to begin.

And so, they did. The two boys told the group everything they could remember from the moment they woke up in the place of unreality to the moment they were back in hospital wing; although, they left out the more…_personal_ bits of information (coughallthekissingcough).

And, once they had finished, two female voice echoed in unison a soft cry of 'Awwwwwwwwe.'

DmHp

Ginny looked up from her copy of the Prophet, furrowing her eyebrows as she listened to the conversation of her two best friends beside her.

"Hey, hey, wait a minute," Ginny said, stopping them before they could change the topic of conversation "did you just say that Draco and Harry are _awake_?"

The blonde beside her nodded her head eagerly, replying "Yeah, they woke up some time in the night or something. I heard this morning that the two boys have been in a coma for like, two weeks, but no one was supposed to know, and-Ginny?"

But, by the time she had noticed the red-head leaving, Ginny was already out of the doors.

DmHp

Ron stuffed another piece of toast into his mouth, spreading crumbs all over the sheet of parchment he was writing on. Growling, he brushed them away with his hand, then re-read the letter and signed it off at the bottom. He folded it in half, before tucking it into his pocket to send to his twin brothers later before classes. Yes, it would do. It would do very well.

DmHp

Hermione listened to the two teenagers as they spoke, sitting side by side on one bed. She couldn't help but smile at the way they looked ay each other with so much care in their eyes, and the way they shared the story between them, only together managing to tell it straight. Together they laughed a their own little jokes that only they understood – it was probably one of those 'you had to have been there' things - and shared secretive little smiles when they thought no one was bothering to look.

And, being the smartest girl in the entire seventh year, she didn't fail to miss the way Draco had snaked his arm around Harry's waist, and was rubbing his fingers in a slow, circular motion under the hem of the night-shirt they had dressed the boy in. She noticed several other things too, like the fact that under the covers, Harry's hand had come to rest on Draco's thigh, and that their legs were entwined together over the edge of the bed.

Whilst the two boys carried on their story, Hermione nudged the Slytherin girl next to her, subtly pointing to the two boys on the bed to see if she too had noticed what the boys were doing. Pansy grinned at her, signalling that yes, she had indeed spotted it, and yes, she too thought it was oh so sweet.

So of course, neither girl could resist giving a soft 'awwwwwwe' at the end of their tale.

Of course, neither girl paid any attention to the fact that their own hands brushed together as they did so, Pansy's fingers gently gliding over the palm of Hermione's hand.

And, of course, both girls put the shiver that had run through their bodies down to the coldness of the room.

It would have been a plausible excuse, if it were not for the numerous heating charms around the wing.

DmHp

"Headmaster, I now must insist; I would like everyone to leave. They woke up several hours earlier than I expected; these two boys need to rest, you must understand."

Harry and Draco lay back down in there original positions, listening to the voice of the nurse as she herded everyone else out of the door. Draco ran a hand through Harry's hair, making him give a small groan of pleasure, and was about to repeat the action when Poppy returned with two potions.

"Come on now boys, drink up. You're going to be taking these potions daily, you're both going to be very weak for some time. Oh, and I will warn you now; your magic levels are quite low at the moment, so don't try any magic much more complicated than a levitating charm for the next few days or so."

No one noticed the wry grin that formed on the lips of the small second year student in the corner. Oh yes, his father would be very pleased to hear _that_.

DmHp

A/N; hah, an update just two days after the last chapter! I hope you guys are happy; a lot of important plot lines were introduced into this chapter – did you spot them all? If you don't review I might wait an entire week to post the next chapter; which I've already half written, so you know. (big grin) I know, I know, I'm evil!

For those that are wondering, there will be a return of Remus – and possibly Arthur – in the next chapter, sorry for abusing his role for the last few chapters, I may have-…well, I kind of forgot about him, sorry! But, I've got a plausible explanation, so he'll be back!

Review please, I love to hear your opinions!

Edited; 30-05-07


	15. Saving you

A/N; aha, another chapter up and…well, ready for you lot to read. Big hugs and thank you's to all my faithful reviewers; here, have a cookie!

Disclaimer; I do not own the idea behind Harry Potter, or the books. If I did, Sirius would never have died, the sixth book would have been _very _different, and Harry and Draco would have been dating for over a year by now. Just thought I'd let you know.

Warnings; slash – now both male and slight female – mentions of abuse/self harm and long words.

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_'

DmHp

_You can't stop the hurt inside, when love and hate collide._

_I don't wanna' fight no more I don't know what we're fighting for_

_When we treat each other, baby, like an act of war_

_I could tell a million lies and it would come as no surprise_

_When the truth is like a stranger; hits you right between the eyes._

_When love and hate collide, by Def Leppard_

DmHp

"Rise, Karter, I have no wish to spend the rest of the night disinfecting my shoes."

Somewhere in the distance, a small beam of light could be seen, heading towards the figures that stood in the deafening darkness of the forest. Nearby crickets sang to the sounds of approaching footsteps, until a red light shot forward and the bramble patch that was their home was set alight.

One man, dressed in a black robe with a hood to hide his face in shadow, rose slowly from his kneeling position on the ground, standing tall and erect as another, much taller man circled him.

"What news have you brought forward?"

Around the two men, many other cloaked figures stood in a silent circle, watching the proceedings with a mild interest that didn't reach their facial features. The taller man – the one that wasn't shivering – came to a stand-still in front of the other, waiting for a reply.

"The Potter child, my Lord."

A twig snapped in the distance, causing the man to falter in his speech. He caught a glimpse of two, angry and fearsome red eyes shining brightly from the darkness in front of him, and hurriedly continued.

"The Potter child, my lord," he repeated "is weak, low on magical reserves. My son tells me that Potter – Potter is the mate of a veela, and the two have only just woken from a two-week long coma. His magic, my Lord, is low, meaning he can do very little spell-wise."

Voldermort – for that is the only person the other man could be, inflicting such fear through his mere presence – didn't answer right away, merely stood as though thinking about something troublesome. Then, sneering, he finally answered.

"Why was I not informed the boy was in a coma in the first place?"

The man in front of him felt a shiver run down his spine, and lowered his eyes to the floor.

"I- My son did not know, my lord. No one in the school was informed; no one knew…my son, Damien, was only able to come across the information as he was in the hospital wing at the time, my lord."

Voldermort nodded slowly, thinking through the meagre reply that had been offered. Then, as a snapping branch broke the silence, a scowl appeared on his face.

"And of his mate, Karter? What of his mate?"

"My Lord?"

"Who is it, you imbecile?" The dark lord snapped, tightening his grip on his wand. Karter's mouth formed a little 'o' shape, before he quickly replied.

"Ah, a very strong man, my lord, I believe you know him. He could prove useful to us, Sire," the man smirked gleefully, obviously proud of himself. "It's Draco Malfoy."

Voldermort raised his eyebrows, smirking as he thought through the information. "Malfoy, eh? The youngest, I believe…Malfoy!"

Karter, still smiling happily, resumed his place in the circle as another man darted forward, instantly falling to his knees in front of Voldermort.

"My Lord?"

"Get up, Lucius, no amount of grovelling will save you this time."

Lucius scowled under his hood, cursing his wife under his breath as he slowly stood to his full height. Now what the hell was he going to do?

"Lucius, did you think you could hide such an important piece of information from me?"

"My Lord," the blonde replied, bowing his head as a sign of respect "I must speak the truth; I had absolutely no idea my son was part veela in the first place. It was a grave mistake, on my behalf, to trust that ungrateful wife of mine, but she never informed me of her veela roots. Had I known, my Lord, that not only was he a veela but ready to be bonded with Potter, I would have made much more of an effort to re-form him to our ways. As it was, the child was weak but stubborn; I was going to deal with him when he came home this next holiday."

"Ah, but Lucius," Voldermort's lips curved into a sadistic grin "is it not true that your wife left you, taking the little brat with her?"

Lucius growled angrily, cursing his wife once more. Yes, she had had the nerve to run away - it was the one thing he had never been brave enough to do. Run away and face Voldermort's wrath when he was finally hunted down? No thank you, it was much safer – if less comfortable – where he was.

But no, that was going to change soon. And Severus to; he must have known all along. Why that little conniving, cheating…speaking of Severus…

"Ah, Severus, how nice of you to finally join us."

The wand light that had been moving steadily through the forest finally broke through into the clearing, with Severus Snape behind it. The Potions master lowered his wand, muttering a quick 'nox' and then kneeled at his 'master's' feet.

"My Lord."

"Rise, Severus, I have a bone to pick with you."

Severus did so, swallowing thickly as he erected the strongest barrier to block the man from his mind as he did so. Standing next to another life-long friend of his, he shared a quick glance with the blonde man, peering into those two, silvery eyes of his. Oh shit, he was in trouble.

"Severus, my ever faithful, have you any news from Hogwarts?"

Snape narrowed his eyes, safe in the knowledge that his 'master' couldn't see his expression. All right, he knew he was in trouble, no matter how polite the monster was being. So, what had he done? Was there something…oh god. Voldermort knew. He had to know. Oh dear. Closing his eyes, Snape took a deep but silent breath, sorting through the facts in his head to make his story believable.

"No, my lord. As I reported at our last meeting, I am once again under suspicion from many staff members, and even the old coot himself is keeping vital information from me. I believe, Lord, that Potter is in hospital wing, though I have not been told why."

Lucius listened to Snape's story in silence, thinking through his own choices in the situation. There was little chance that Voldermort would believe his friend's story, no matter how great a liar the man was. The oldest Malfoy had known for many years that Severus was a spy for the light; in fact, it had been he who had persuaded him to accept Dumbledore's help. In the early days, when they both first decided they wanted out, Lucius had told Severus to go straight to Dumbledore, to ask for a way out; to take his – Lucius' - wife and his child with him and hide at Hogwarts.

There had never been any choice, for him, no hope of escape from the Dark Lord's grasp. He was Voldermort's most trusted, most loyal, biggest supplier of funds and new death eaters; there was no way such a valuable person would be allowed to leave.

But now, what other choices did he have? He was dead either way; there was no life left…Lucius hung his head as Voldermort spoke to Severus beside him, wondering what life he would lead either way. One good deed was not enough to redeem a life of sins, and a life of sins Lucius had most definitely led. The blonde looked over at the dark haired man beside him, sensing the defiance radiating from him as he looked Voldermort in the eye. Yes, there was still hope for _him_. He had to get out; forget spying. He, Severus, could protect Draco for Lucius, he could protect Narcissa and be there for his family in a way Lucius never had.

Yes, Severus would get out alive, even if Lucius had to sacrifice his own life for it to happen.

DmHp

It was probably about lunch time, Harry decided – or at least time to eat something. A lot of something. Yes, food would be nice.

The teenager opened his eyes, smiling happily at the site of the veela sleeping soundly beside him. Glancing at his watch, he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion; it had only been a few hours since they had gone to sleep; how was it possible that he had awoken so early?

Looking around the hospital wing, Harry reached for his glasses and raised his eyebrows at the darkness. _'Since when is it dark at lunch time?_'

"Good evening, love."

"Huh?" Harry rolled back to face the blonde who had just woken up and was watching him with traces of amusement flickering across his face.

"I said good evening."

"It's evening?"

Draco rolled his eyes, chuckling lightly. "Well, no actually, it's night, about eleven I think. Why?"

Oh, that would explain it the darkness, and the hunger…Harry blushed a little, shrugging.

"I'm hungry," he mumbled, glaring at a little black spot on Draco's night shirt.

The statement caused the Slytherin to laugh again, before he lightly kissed his mate on the cheek.

"All right then," he replied "room service it is."

DmHp

Severus stared into the eyes of the corrupt Wizard in front of him as Voldermort relayed the story of the veela and his mate to him, rolling his eyes at the facts he already knew. It seemed that the man now knew the entire story; he just hoped that his own was just as believable.

"Severus…I don't like it when my spies fail to do their work adequately," Voldermort sneered, fingering his wand "and I don't like it when they lie either. Crucio."

The potions master fell to the floor as an unending current of pain washed through him, taking his blood for a joy ride as his screams rang around the forest. Voldermort watched with a sadistic grin on his face, before removing the curse so the man could return to his feet once more.

"However, Severus, luckily for you I still need you, so I won't kill you…_yet_," a raspy chuckle came from the man, and the other cloaked figures echoed it, abruptly silencing at their lord's glare.

"You, Severus, will bring the young Mr. Malfoy to me, and together we will…_persuade _him over to our side. He shall be our link to Potter, so we can strike whilst the boy is still weak. Do you understand, Severus?"

Lucius watched in horror as the Potions Master fell to the floor again when Voldermort muttered a spiteful 'Crucio' for the second time. It was on for longer this time, and when the man was finally free of it he had no choice but to get to his feet and nod in defeat. The blonde man couldn't allow it to happen, he wouldn't let his son's happiness be ruined; and with that thought, the man pulled out his wand and sent a stunning curse at his master.

DmHp

"Hey, look Fred, mail's here," one of the red-haired Weasley twins entered the room carrying a white envelope addressed to the two of them in their youngest brother's handwriting. Both twins sat down on the couch of their small flat, and came to a mutual, silent agreement that George should open the letter whilst Fred read over his shoulder.

_Dear Fred and George ­_"Well, that's a bit of a boring start now isn't it?" George mumbled, thoroughly disappointed with Ron's lack of imagination. Fred rolled his eyes at his twin, returning to the letter.

_You won't believe it, you really won't- that prick, Potter, has gone over to the dark side; probably wants to be the next dark lord and everything. _

_He's got himself involved with Malfoy - I think that's where it all began but I don't care. Malfoy's spun some little story about being a veela and Harry being his mate, and now they're a couple and stuff. Harry can't see that Malfoy is evil, and I believe it's because he is too; he was hanging around with a bunch of Slytherins!_

_Heh, they fell into a coma about two weeks ago, but I heard they woke up this morning. Pity they didn't die, but I do say it's time for a little revenge, no?_

_  
And, can you believe it, he's corrupted Hermione too! I swear he's – either Harry or the Ferret – using Dark magic, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Anyway, she broke up with me the other day and is hanging around with Harry all the time; I'll forgive her though, when she realizes what she's done and comes back to me. But, and I know you'll agree with me, I want to get back at that stupid bastard-who-steals-girlfriends; so, I decided to write to my two favourite brothers. _

_  
I just need a little help is all, just a few pranks; really good ones, ones that will humiliate them both and make them release Hermione from whatever spell they've put her under. _

_Can't wait to here from you_

_Love, Ron_

"Could he really-…"

"- get any more-…"

"-stupid?" The twins said as they re-read the letter to make sure they hadn't mixed up the words or something. But, no, Ron really was implying that Harry had gone over to the dark side; was he _really _related to them?

"How about we pay a visit to Harry,-…"

"-and stop along to see Ron along the way? I say-…"

"-that's a fantastic idea,"

DmHp

"Here you are, master Draco, master Potter, Dobby has food."

Harry grinned at the house elf, taking the tray from him and putting it on his lap. He passed a plate full of food over to the veela beside him, then began to eagerly eat his own.

"Will the masters be wanting Dobby for anything else?"

"Not right now, Dobby, thank you. I'll call again if we want something," Draco replied before Dobby disappeared with a small pop. The blonde raised the lights up in their ward so the couple could see better, then began to eat his own food.

"Hey, Harry?"

"Hmm?" Harry looked up from his food, glancing over at the Slytherin.

"Are you going to explain the scars and bruising at some point tonight?"

The dark haired teenager dropped his gaze, busying himself with his food.

"Am I allowed to say no?" He asked, his voice low and unwilling to be used.

Draco considered the question for a moment, taking a bite of his meat before nodding.

"Yes. But I'll only ask you again later, and you know Dumbledore or Poppy – no, you know that _everyone _will be asking. I just thought you might like to tell me without anyone else around, but I can wait until you tell them."

Harry bit down on his lip, knowing realizing that Draco was correct; it would be easier to tell him and get it over and done with if he broke down then wait until everyone was there and have them all watch him if he cried. Giving a small sigh, he leant into Draco's side, and the blonde moved his arm to sit around his waist.

"You know I've always lived with my aunt and uncle, right?"

Draco nodded, giving time for Harry to eat a little bit more.

"Well, to put it lightly, they didn't really like me. Well, they didn't like magic in general, you know? It was always a forbidden word for me as a kid and…well, they never told me who I was, where I came from; they said my parents died in a bloody car accident, they told me my dad was a drunk and…well, yeah, you get the idea. I've always been unnatural to them; a freak. I guess, well, they thought they could beat the magic out of me."

Harry paused here, taking several more forkfuls of food as he collected his thoughts.

"I spent my entire life up until me eleventh in the cupboard under the stairs; funny, that's where my very first Hogwarts letter was addressed to as well. My clothes came from my way over-sized cousin, so they were all too big, and he was spoilt beyond belief. They never celebrated my birthday, they never bought me new things and I was made to do basically all the house work. I guess – I guess I kind of thought it was normal, you know? And things were never really so bad, I mean, I was never beaten or anything. I'm sure plenty of kids had worse childhoods."

The dark haired boy paused again, not daring to look into the veela's face for fear of seeing something akin to pity, or - as it would mostly be ridden with after he had told the entire story - disgust.

"When I got back from our fifth year – just after Sirius had died – I guess…I guess Vernon decided I was a good stress ball or something. He was always drinking; he and Petunia were having marital problems, and his boss was giving him a hard time…I began to stop eating, I guess I was just too ashamed of what I had done to Sirius…and well, my uncle began to beat me regularly, for the silliest of things. Like, this one time, I had another nightmare, and I screamed; it woke up my uncle though, and he stormed into my room and…well, anyway, he would use anything he could get his hands on, or just his fists if there was nothing around…I guess that was when the cutting started."

Harry's fingers traced along the now visible scars on his wrists, remembering the bitter glint of light reflecting from the blade he had so often used.

"For me it was…it was a release, you know? I just wanted to feel, to make sure I was still alive. I was so disgusted with myself for everything, it was all so…well, I don't know how to describe it. At the time, I was suffering from the loss of my Godfather, and then the whole abuse thing started and I got really angry with myself for letting it happen, then I always got upset for feeling so helpless and- and, as much as I hate to admit it now, the cutting helped. It hurt like hell, it left scars that will haunt me for the rest of my life and it reminds me all the time of the pain but…I got over it.

When I returned for sixth year, I guess I had just begun to stop caring. But then everyone was so annoying, pitying me and acting like I was a fragile sheet of glass that would break at any minute…I got tired of their coddling, their pity and their 'help'. So, I began to act, I learnt how to cover my emotions, I smiled for them to stop people worrying and coddling. It worked. I had learnt some nifty glamour charms over the summer, so I used those to hide the bruising and stuff."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, dropping his fork onto his plate. He could feel Draco rubbing small circles where his hand was resting on his hip, and he let the comforting touch wash over him in a calming motion.

"And then…sixth year was just plain old normal, but I never stopped cutting. No one paid any attention, I guess they brushed my mood swings off as grieving or something. The summer that year – or this year, I guess – was just a bad, if not worse as the one before. I never defended myself, I never…I never tried to stop my uncle or cousin or _anyone _from doing _anything _to me. I'm not made of glass, but I guess I still broke anyway."

The dark haired boy gave a short, harsh laugh, leaning more heavily into the veela beside him. Brushing away the tears already gathering in his eyes, he roughly tugged on the sleeve of his night shirt so it covered the scars again.

"I haven't cut in weeks. Problem solved."

And that was it - case closed. Draco narrowed his eyes dangerously, knowing that Harry was leaving something out, but the anger building up towards his mate's relatives made him file away the information for later. Perhaps he could get it out of the Gryffindor later, when he was thinking straighter. But for now, his mate's welfare came first.

"Harry," he said softly, trying to get the teenager to look up at him. Harry kept staring at the bedspread until Draco used his free hand to tug his chin upwards, forcing him to meet his eyes.

"Harry, you are allowed to cry you know."

Harry tore his eyes away, but it was too late; the words still had their desired effect and the tears began to leak from his eyes quicker than he could wipe them away. Draco pulled him close, the smaller boy burying his head into the blonde's chest as his cried, feeling the emotion pouring out of him. Memories washed over him, replaying in his mind as Draco whispered soft, calming words into his ears.

Feeling himself begin to fall asleep, Harry loosened his grip a little. In return, the veela merely strengthened his own grip as a sign of support, and the last words from the blonde that he heard before a soft darkness overcame him were;

"I love you."

DmHp

Now that he had had time to think about it, Lucius decided that shooting a stunning spell at the dark lord was possibly the second most stupid thing he had ever done; first place went to joining the mad old snake in the first place.

But, the jet of light had shot from his wand before he could even process what had happened, and although the man deflected it easily it still had satisfying results. The circle of death eaters stood in complete silence for several moments, thinking through what had just happened; and then it had been an all-out battle of sorts, trying to shoot various curses and hexes at the blonde man.

Severus had, undoubtedly been shocked, but he seemed to get the message from Lucius as the man stared at him; get out, stay safe.

"Save my son," Lucius stated in a commanding tone of voice, before dodging a poorly aimed curse.

The blonde haired man ducked, narrowly avoiding a spell, then cursed at the Dark Lord before turning around and sprinting into the night, the many cloaked figures following him.

It had come as a big shock, really, when he turned his head to see Severus running right along beside him, shooting curses at the death eaters over his shoulder. Lucius had meant for the man to run in the opposite direction, away from the pandemonium to leave the blonde to deal with the consequences of his actions. But no, Severus was right there with him.

And, in all honesty, it had come as even more of a shock when the potions master reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out his emergency portkey…and then held the trinket out for his friend of old to grab hold of.

"I'm saving you first."

DmHp

A/N; ah, so, you know how I said that the adult Weasley's and Remus would be appearing in this chapter…well, it'll be the next chapter, okay? Sorry!

Anyway, I'm so happy; over 300 reviews! I was bloody shocked to say the least when my sister told me (she was the 300th reviewer, oddly enough) because I didn't think I was anywhere near that mark, so 'pulls out banners and balloons' YAY! Thank you, really, to _everyone _who has made it with me this far.

I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, I'll start on the next one right away…ish, I was thinking about getting some food first. 'Big grin'. Reviews are appreciated; I want to know what you think of Lucius. 'maniacal laughter'

Edited; 30-05-07


	16. Though a rose may fall

A/N; well, I'm back again, surprise surprise. Thank you to absolutely everyone for the reviews, I'm sorry that I haven't had a chance to reply individually this time. Big thanks, still, and make sure to read the A/N at the bottom of this chapter!

Disclaimer; Usual, isn't mine.

Warnings; usual; mentions of abuse/self harm,

Speech "blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_'

DmHp

Harry smiled, nuzzling into the warm pillow he was resting upon. A feeling of safety and comfort washed over him, burrowing its way into his heart as he felt the arms wrapped protectively around him squeeze a little tighter. Wait, arms?

Harry furrowed his brows, waiting for the hazy blanket that sleep always left behind to lift from his mind so he could remember the night before. He had woken up in the middle of the night, eaten, talked lots to Draco…Draco. Opening his eyes, he smiled when he felt his pillow shift and a pair of glasses were handed to him. He placed them carefully on, before promptly closing his eyes again and laying back down on Draco's chest.

The blonde in question gave a deep laugh, and Harry could _hear _him smirking and rolling his eyes in that cute little way – which was funny, because before that year, Draco's smirk had annoyed him to no end.

"Good morning to you too, love."

Harry grinned widely, hiding his happiness as he nuzzled a little more into the veela's chest as a response, accompanied by a lazy "Mmm…" It sounded nice to hear Draco call him that; love. The blonde Slytherin chuckled again, running a hand through Harry's already scruffy hair.

"Well, you know, as much as I'd like to lie here all day, I'd rather not put on a show for our guest without making them pay a fee first."

Harry heard a soft chuckle at this, one that didn't come from the Slytherin. He groaned lightly, popping one eye open to look up at Draco.

"Well then tell them to go away. 'Wanna sleep." he mumbled defiantly, plonking his head back down onto his human pillow.

"Oh, I don't know, the werewolf might bite me if I do."

"Werewolf?" Harry repeated, yawning. He didn't know a were- "Moony!" The dark haired teenager cried out, sitting up straight when he realized who Draco was talking about. The Slytherin rolled his eyes and lazily sat up as well, slinging an arm around Harry's waist.

And yep, there he was, in all his werewolf glory; Remus Lupin was sitting in the chair nearest to the bed, looking tired and a little ragged but happy none-the-less.

"Hello Harry, nice to see you deem me more important than sleep."

Harry had the decency to blush a little, running a hand nervously through his hair.

"Sorry, I thought that perhaps you were someone else come to irritate me…but it's good to see you! How are you?"

Remus smiled widely, leaning forward and ruffling the teenager's hair affectionately.

"It's all right, cub. I'm fine, I'm sorry I didn't come and see you sooner; I wanted to come and see you as soon as I heard about it all, but I was on business at the time."

Harry, knowing exactly what Remus meant by 'business' shrugged it off, trying to straighten his hair a little.

"It's okay, I don't mind. So, tell me what's been going on."

DmHp

"That was a very stupid thing you did."

"No," Lucius shook his head, adjusting his robes a little "it was a necessary thing."

Severus raised his eyebrows at the blonde man, looking out of the window of the carriage to see how much further they had to go before they made it to the school.

"What makes you say that?" The potions master asked, idly watching the sun as it rose steadily over the castle in the distance.

"I will not have my son be subjected to the cruel methods of the Dark Lord. I will not allow my son to turn into me."

Severus looked over at his old friend, surveying the man that had quickly become his enemy all those years ago. He looked tired, with grey circles underneath his eyes and bruises left from numerous curses. His normally immaculate blonde hair was now in laying unchecked around his head, and his robes were torn and muddy. And the man's posture; once, Lucius had sat erect and tall, proud and clearly above all those who stood before him. But now he was slouching lazily against the seat, his body tiredly falling back into a natural position as his eyes strayed towards the window.

Thank god, the man was not a Malfoy anymore.

"Welcome back, Lucius."

DmHp

Remus had been talking to the two teenagers quite happily for over an hour about many random subjects before the doors to the hospital wing opened again, this time emitting one fully grown red haired Weasley.

"Ah, Harry, good to see you again!"

"You as well, Mr. Weasley," Harry replied, smiling at the elder man as he pulled up a chair beside Remus.

"Ah, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Malfoy, glad to see you are both well," Arthur shook hands with the werewolf beside him who replied in an alike greeting, and Draco merely nodded with a small smile. He had never really liked Weasleys', and he'd be damned if he was going to start now.

"How are you, Harry?"

The dark haired teenager rolled his eyes, grinning.

"Everyone keeps asking me that," he replied, laughing a little "and yet no one seems to believe me when I say I'm fine."

"We've been worried, Harry."

The Gryffindor merely nodded as a reply, showing he understood. He ran a hand through his hair nervously; he was just waiting for all the questions about the scars and bruises to come. And yet, as he, Draco and the two men launched into a rather animated discussion about a recent quidditch match the boys had missed, no one seemed inclined to spoil the mood.

DmHp

Ginny turned another page of the book, scowling angrily when she found it contained yet more of the same drivel she had spent the last hour reading. The book was of no use to her; all it told her was that Veelas' and their mates could not be separated by force and it was against the law to do so. Although, it never mentioned anything about persuasion…

Ginny grinned widely, grabbing her bag before heading off to her dormitory. Yes, she had a better plan then simply waltzing in to the infirmary; she wasn't stupid, she knew the blonde Slytherin would have her head on a platter for doing so. So instead, she would just…have to be inventive.

DmHp

Ron looked impatiently up at the flock of owls, scanning the mass of black, brown and white for any sign of his brother's owl. Of course, he had only sent the letter the day before but; the twins would understand it was urgent, and he was expecting their reply any second now.

The red head scowled angrily once the last off the owls had arrived, turning back to his food in a rather sour mood.

DmHp

"Now Albus, I simply must object! He is a known death eater who-…"

"Who saved my life whilst risking his own," Severus interjected, conjuring a chair for the blonde man beside him "instead of letting us endanger his son. I fully support his decision, and I believe it to be for the best."

"We have just lost our only spy! We will now have absolutely no idea what you-know-who is doing and is planning to do! This man has made several attempts to kill Harry, and has never exactly been a loving father to young Mr. Malfoy either. And you expect us to believe that he did this to save his son?" Minerva shrieked, pointing accusingly at the death eater sat in the chair in front of Albus' desk, holding his head wearily in his hands.

"I highly doubt it. It is more likely this was all just a trick to force your real loyalties out into the open; and he will most likely convince Draco to follow his own footsteps back the Dark Lord, and take Harry with him!"

"Don't," a new voice was added to the conversation, cutting sharply into the already tense atmosphere of the room. This voice was low, raspy, and harsh, as though barely even existing "ever accuse me of not loving my son."

Lucius no longer had his head in his hands, but he was resting his elbows on his knees as he slouched forward.

"I am growing older, my dear Minerva, and am no longer the naïve student I once was. I will no longer blindly follow in the footsteps of a corrupt old fool, and most importantly, I would never do anything to risk the safety of my child. Draco is very dear to me, as is Narcissa herself. I will except my punishment, and not try to escape from Azkaban as long as I have the guarantee that my son is safe."

"I think," Severus said after a moment "that Lucius intended me to run away in the opposite direction; to leave him to face the death eaters alone. I think he planned to die at their hands so I could come back and keep his family safe. Albus, I do not think he counted on me saving him."

"I did not count on you suddenly displaying the qualities of an idiotic, stubborn Gryffindor, that is what I did not count on."

Severus cracked a smile at the blonde's vicious humour, giving the man a light pat on the shoulder.

"I know, dear friend, I know. But I am not the one that ran blindly, stupidly and rather ironically into his own death trap; just like an idiotic, stubborn Gryffindor."

Lucius flipped his old friend the finger, turning a blind eye to the other occupants of the room. Albus chuckled lightly, leaving Minerva to gape at the three men.

"Yes, well, I think that just about covers it. I think we should call in some reporters, spread the story of Lucius' disappearance, and in the mean time set up some private rooms close to the Mrs. Malfoy's quarters, if not in the same rooms."

Lucius raised his head from where he had been staring at the ground, his mouth hanging open in a very un-Malfoyish way.

"You what?"

"Are you mad, Albus?!" Minerva cried, running forward towards the desk "You cannot allow this man to stay here! And to try and hide him away from everyone at the same time, I mean- it's outrageous!"

"Yes, I quite agree," the headmaster replied, the twinkle in his eyes increasing tenfold "and, naturally, Mr. Malfoy will not only be subjected to numerous truth serums, but will be requested to make an oath – on his life, of course – and he himself will have to face the punishment of apologising to his wife and son. I do think that in itself will be enough. You have to understand, Minerva, that Severus now owes Lucius a life dept; and Lucius owes Severus his own life dept. So really, it would be madness to separate them before the terms are settled. Don't you agree?"

"Severus cancelled out his dept when he saved Lucius' life!" Minerva replied harshly, folding his arms "so no arrangements need to be made,"

"Actually," the potions master said, smirking "Lucius and I hadn't settled those terms before I saved his life; so I did nothing but send an equally strong bond in the form of a dept back to him. Unless he agrees that my saving his life is enough to cancel the dept, I still owe him a lot."

The blonde haired man opened his mouth, most likely to say that that was indeed enough, but he was stopped by a sharp hit around the head from Severus behind him.

"You see, Minerva, everything works out fine. I will arrange for the oath to be completed before Lucius steps foot outside of this room, and he will be put under the influence of truth serums at the nearest opportunity. I dare say we can have everything sorted by this evening, when we shall allow Mr. Malfoy to visit his wife and son."

Minerva dropped her arms to her side, sighing in defeat.

"Fine," she snapped, turning to leave "but just remember when the dark lord walks through our doors that I did _not _agree to this!"

DmHp

Harry had enjoyed his morning with two of the adults closest to him, and had spent a rather enjoyable lunch alone with Draco just afterwards. He had learnt from Arthur that Molly still did not agree with his relationship with Draco; which of course had been a blow, seeing as Molly was the one person he considered close enough to be his mother. Although, when Narcissa visited shortly after lunch, he pretty much forgot all about the short, plump woman who had been so cruel.

"Mmmm," Draco sighed, turning towards Harry after his mother left "finally we're all alone."

Harry grinned innocently at him, giving a fake yawn.

"Yeah, I know what you mean; now we can finally get some sleep."

The blonde scowled at him, knowing his mate was only messing about. The scowl was quickly turned into a smile as he wrapped an arm around Harry, pulling him closer.

"Oh, I don't know," he drawled, running a hand through the other boy's hair "I had other things in mind."

"Oh, really? Like what?"

"Well, there's always this."

Draco leant forward, capturing Harry's lips in a gentle, caring kiss that lasted many long moments before they finally broke away.

"Oh," Harry murmured, leaning in again "that sounds like fun."

And, as Sods Law declares shall always be so, Draco had barely managed to kiss him again before the doors burst open once more, emitting two red streaks with flourishing robes.

"HARRYKINS!"

DmHp

Pansy looked over at the Gryffindor girl beside her, watching the girl as she glanced quickly up at their substitute potions professor before looking back at her parchment to jot something else down.

In was rather fascinating, in a clichéd kind of way, how the midday sun shed it's light over Hermione's hair to make it glisten as though wet, and how those now perfectly straight teeth caught her lower lip to softly chew upon it as she thought through something their professor had said.

The other girl caught her looking, and glanced over.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked in a hushed voice so their teacher didn't notice. Pansy shook her head, looking back down at her work.

"Nothing," she murmured lightly "nothing at all."

DmHP

The warm green hue that the oath spell had left behind on both pairs of hands had slowly begun to fade by the time lunch was finally served, the midday sun already beginning its slow descent towards the horizon line.

"I think that Draco would appreciate being here to witness the testing," Severus put in, taking another sandwich from the plate one of the house elves had brought into the headmaster's office "and Narcissa too. They both would like to know of your real intentions, although convincing them not to kill you whilst here will be a hard job."

Lucius, now having washed and changed into more decent clothing, was trying to maintain a little dignity, and was slowly chewing on his own bread now his posture had been corrected. True, his 'holier than thou' air had evaporated many weeks ago, but he was still able to sit straight a hold in place a stony mask as he spoke.

"I will let them do whatever they want to me, I fully deserve it," he spoke, taking another bite.

"Hush now Lucius, the adults here are trying to discuss something important," Severus dismissed his comment, turning instead to the headmaster and ignoring the indignant huff from the other man.

"Yes, they shall be present. Although, I do think it would be best if you and I informed them of the situation beforehand. Narcissa first, as she will be most easily reasoned with, and if we can convince her that there is no danger then Draco will not feel threatened."

"Is it true," Lucius spoke up suddenly "is it true that Draco is part veela and that Potter is his mate?"

The potions master surveyed him carefully for several moments before nodding once.

"Yes, it is."

Lucius' face regained a little colour, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Well then, this _will_ be fun, won't it? God help the Dark Lord, that's all I can say."

DmHp

A/N; ahah, no cliffy; well, kinda', you know? Anyway, I wanted to mention that I'm going on holiday this Saturday; for two weeks. (covers ears) Yes, yes, yes, I know, that means no updates for two weeks. Please don't kill me. But, instead, I'll try and post another chapter this week, and I'll post two when I come back.

Reviews are appreciated, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter; short as it may be.

Edited; 30-05-07


	17. Say it again, say it again

A/N; ah, hello again! Yep, I've actually managed to get this chapter in before we leave; phew. So, after this there won't be any updates for two weeks; but I hope you all enjoy the holidays anyway (assuming you're having a break that is. Sorry if you're not,). Enjoy!

Disclaimer; not mine. Although, I would appreciate it if I could claim some of the miniature plot lines behind this, but that might be hoping for too much.

Warnings; Slash (I will be very surprised if you've got this far without knowing that), foul language (how could you not have noticed already?), mentions of abuse/self harm (not intended to be insulting in any way shape or form)

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_'

IMPORTANT NOTE: well, kinda. Anyway, this chapter has _not _been checked through; however, when I get back I will not only do a check but repost this chapter with no mistakes, okay? Thankyou for putting up with me!

DmHp

_And, as Sods Law declares shall always be so, Draco had barely managed to kiss him again before the doors burst open once more, emitting two red streaks with flourishing robes._

"_HARRYKINS!"_

Harry took a deep breath, trying to get as much air as possible into his lungs; which wasn't really much, seeing as he was currently being squished to death in-between two of the (supposedly) older Weasley brothers.

"You've,"

"been,"

"glomped!"

Draco raised his eyebrows at that statement, the amusement keeping down the angry veela inside him. He watched as the two red heads finally let go of his mate, letting the Gryffindor breathe normally again.

Harry took a moment to regain his breath, before grinning up at the Weasley twins who were standing side-by-side in matching black and red robes (apparently they hadn't been able to shake off the Gryffindor label even outside of Hogwarts), both with big smiles on their faces.

"Hello Harry,"

"Malfoy,"

The twins greeted them, falling into their old habit of finishing each other's sentences. Harry merely rolled his eyes at them, gesturing for them to sit down.

"Hello, Fred, George. What are you doing up here, shouldn't you be in the shop?"

Fred and George shared an amused look before answering, both of them noticing how Draco's arm had once more snaked its way around Harry's waist.

"Awwwwwwwe," they echoed in unison, mimicking the younger boys' pose and pulling 'kissy' faces at them.

"How utterly-…"

"-cute and-…"

"-adorable!" The cooed, making the darker haired teenager blush. Draco chuckled, running his hand through Harry's hair; which made the other teenager blush an even brighter red.

"Draco!" He cried, trying to straighten out his hair a little again "big meany," he mumbled.

"Say that much more and I may choose to be even meaner. Remember who controls your allowance of kisses."

Harry pouted, giving a little fake smile. Draco grinned, using his hand to pull the darker haired teenager in for a kiss.

"Hey, guys!" Fred cried, breaking them apart.

"We're okay with your relationship and everything-…"

"-but we'll skip on the free show."

Harry pulled back from the veela, blushing again, and turned back to the twins; although, as soon as Draco was comfy again he promptly began to lean into the Slytherin's side.

"So you're okay with us?"

Fred- or maybe George, Harry wasn't quite sure – nodded, still smiling widely.

"Of course we are, Harry,"

"-you're our honorary little brother,"

"-not to mention a Marauder by blood,"

"- and you own half the store,"

"-so whether you like it or not,"

"-you'll have to put up with us by your side,"

"-forever." The twins finished in unison, causing Harry to smile widely at them; although that pesky blush now refused to leave.

"Thanks guys," he mumbled, averting his eyes "that means a lot to me."

"Ah, don't be mushy-…"

"-I mean, what did you expect,"

"-from your brother's in all but blood and two of the only remaining members of the Weasley family?"

Harry's head snapped up at this in surprise. "What?"

"Well, we heard from Ron-…"

"-something about evil stuff and payback or something-…"

"-so we came to visit to you-…"

"-and get payback on _him _at the same time. Also-…"

"-mum's being stupid-…"

"-and we heard that Ginny's being a jealous bi-…"

"-yeah, so we've decided that they're no longer Weasley's. I mean-…"

"-Weasley's stick together-…"

"-and although we'll be there for them if they want to come back-…"

"-we don't like them anymore."

Draco tapped Harry on the shoulder, gaining his attention. "Are they always like this?" he asked, rubbing his temple.

Harry merely grinned at him, kissing his cheek before turning back to the twins who were pulling kissy faces at them again.

"Prats," he mumbled, rolling his eyes. The two young men opposite him grinned cheekily, sticking out they're tongues in unison.

"You're,"

"just,"

"jealous!"

DmHp

"Oh, Headmaster, Severus, what can I do for you?"

"Narcissa, I trust you are well?" at the woman's nod, Albus continued "I was wondering if we could have a quick word, we have some important news to discuss."

"Oh, of course. Come in," Narcissa moved out of the way so that the two men could enter the joint living room, where Tracy was sat on one of the couches reading.

"Oh, hello headmaster, Sevvy. Do you want me to leave?" Tracy asked, already putting her bookmark in place.

"Actually," Albus stated, sitting down "that won't be necessary; what we have to say concerns you too."

Tracy and Narcissa shared a look as the elder woman sat down next to her step-daughter, noticing the smile that was trying to break through the potions professor's face, not to mention the brighter than normal twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes; that bloody twinkle, twinkling all the time.

"All right then," Tracy put her book to one side, folding her hands in her lap "what did you want to tell us?"

"It's Lucius," Severus said, his voice monotonous as he assessed their reactions "he's…well, he's in the castle, under our invitation."

A shocked expression flittered across Narcissa's face, before she placed on an un-caring mask, turning away.

"So? Take him to Azkaban while you can, I will not have him endangering my son."

"Narcissa…well, I do believe I'd better start at the beginning."

DmHp

Maybe…no, maybe that was a little _too _much. Maybe a different shade of red; or maybe a different skirt.

Ginny leant forward, resting her hands on the side of the sink as she gazed into the mirror above it. Her ruby-red lips were coated in a sticky lipstick and strawberry gloss, and a pink blush had been dusted heavily over her cheeks. A light blue eye shadow stood out against her pale skin, and her top was cut a little too low to be accidental. The denim skirt she wore covered barely six inches of skin from her hip, and hardly covered the essentials; but she was beautiful, none the less.

Beautiful to the blokes looking for a good, cheap shag, that is.

DmHp

It was an unwritten rule – well, at least everyone assumed it was, unless there was a 'How to be a Malfoy and hate all Weasleys' handbook somewhere in the world – that Malfoy's of any age should not get on well with _anyone _from the Weasley family. This rule was scratched out, scribbled over in ink and then rewritten by one Draco Malfoy within minutes of properly talking to the Weasley twins.

"No way," the blonde argued, smiling in a half mocking kind of way "a sweet that changes you hair colour is pretty lame. It should _transfigure _your hair instead; like into cord or fur instead of proper hair."

The twins shared a look, before identical manic grins appeared on their faces and George whipped out a notebook, scribbling the idea down onto the parchment within.

"Hey!" Draco cried, pointing accusingly at them "you have to pay me for that idea!"

The twins laughed at him, shaking their heads "No way," Fred mimicked his earlier speech "consider it _your _payment to _us _for allowing you to date our brother."

Harry rolled his eyes at them, giving a light chuckle as Draco stuck his tongue out childishly at them. Fred raised his eyebrows, at together the two twins pulled identical silly faces; using their fingers to pull at their mouths whilst sticking out their tongues and rolling their eyes backwards. The two teenagers laughed at them, and Draco gave a put upon sigh.

"Ah, drat," he mumbled, pouting "you win."

"Of course-…"

"-we do-…"

"-we're the Weasley twins!"

DmHp

'_Perhaps I had better start with something smaller before I visit him,'_ The youngest Weasley mused, stepping away from the mirror and removing the make-up with a flick of her wand. A card would do, and some oriental chocolates. The trip to visit him could wait a day or so; just to let Harry think about her, of course. After seeing a nice card, he would begin to think about her, and would eventually realize how right they were for each other.

Although, there was a downside to the visit; unless she wanted to have her head chopped off, she would have to visit _really _late, when they were supposed to be asleep. That way, she could talk to just Harry; although, she would have to come up with an imaginative excuse, that's for sure.

Ginny grinned at her reflection, a small twinkle in her eyes. It wouldn't matter, Harry wouldn't ask. He would do whatever she said.

She was giving him chocolates for a reason.

DmHp

"Narcissa, please don't make me repeat it _again_," Severus complained, massaging his temples in a vain attempt to stop the oncoming migraine that he had received as a reward for his efforts; which unfortunately had included trying to explain to Narcissa why her husband wasn't yet in Azkaban three times and counting.

The Malfoy woman sighed heavily, and glanced over at Tracy who was wearing the same confused but oddly amused look on her face.

"Let me get this straight; you want to let Lucius stay at the castle – preferably in our rooms – and are going to seek out his true intentions via numerous truth serums, all because he suddenly displayed rash Gryffindor qualities and saved your life?"

Hearing Severus' frustrated growl, Dumbledore replied, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Yes, that just about sums it up, my good woman. Of course, we truly believe that he only wants to protect Draco and yourself; but we wish for you to be present at the 'interrogation' so that you can decide for yourself whether or not he is – well, 'good' is the word, I suppose."

The four adults sat in silence, each one thinking through the news and what would become of Lucius. The stony silence was soon broken by Narcissa's voice, which had taken a rather childish edge into it. The resounding bang that followed it made several students in nearby corridors jump and look around suspiciously for unwelcome guests, causing many too scared to venture too close to the fourth floor where rumours told of a tragic ghostly appearance…

"Just run it by me _one _more time."

The small coffee table huffed angrily – or it would have done, had it been alive – upon noticing the large head shape dent that would forever mar its gleaming surface.

DmHp

A/N; oh my, this is rather short, isn't it? Sorry about that, but remember you're getting two next time – yes, I'll make them longer next time. Only, I'm about to head off to bed now, so I figured I'd rather end it here and write the good bits once I'm able to string a sentence together properly again that write them now and cock it all up, you know?

Anyway, this is the last update for two weeks, sorry people! But still, that doesn't mean you can't leave reviews (wink, hint hint). Lol, enjoy the rest of your summer!

Edited; 30-05-07


	18. As the curtain closes

A/N; Oh jeese, I'm really late with this chapter, aren't I? Please don't kill me! I'm really sorry, but I've been getting back into the flow of school and things have been getting rough at home…don't worry, I'll try to get back into regular updates!

Thank you _so _much for all the reviews, I couldn't stop grinning when I finally got around to reading them! I'm sorry I haven't replied to any of them this time around, but thank you all the same!

Disclaimer; does anyone even read this bloody thing? Don't own nothing, don't sue

Warnings; Slash (you have to be quite dense to have not noticed that), inappropriate language, mentions of abuse/self harm.

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_'

DmHp

"So," Fred asked his brother, closing the door to the hospital wing softly behind them "what do you think to the Malfoy kid?"

His twin merely grinned at him, giving a nod of his head to show that he was thinking exactly the same thing. Yes, Draco was a good kid, no matter who his parents were. There was hope for the Malfoy line after all.

"Yeah, I thought so to," Fred stated, not needing to hear words from his brother to confirm the fact.

"So can we go-…"

"-visit our brother now?"

The Weasley twins shared identical, mischievous grins, and carried on in the direction they were already heading; to the Gryffindor common room. After all, a little greeting before the main event wouldn't do any harm…

DmHp

Narcissa watched the two Weasley twins leave the hospital wing, paying no attention to the small smile threatening to invade her features. They were quite the pair, the twins. Mad didn't quite cover it, but insane was perhaps too strong a word to describe the two brothers. Narcissa shook her head a little, turning back to her son and his mate – who were both looking at Dumbledore and Snape with matching expressions of confusion.

"Sorry sir, but just why exactly do you want us to go to your office? I mean, I thought we were supposed to be resting, so whatever you have to say can be said here…" Harry trailed off, glancing over at Narcissa and Tracy who were stood by the opposite side of the bed to the two men. Narcissa tried to smile comfortingly at him, but the knowledge that her husband was currently sitting just a few floors above them, claiming to be innocent, was weighing too heavily on her mind.

"Something big is happening," Draco stated, scowling and folding his arms like a moody child "and I'm not going anywhere until we've heard _all _the details."

Severus groaned, preparing himself for the long hour ahead of them. The female Malfoy was enough, but the _son_ of said Malfoy woman andLucius? He would be dead by the end of the hour, he just knew it.

Narcissa smiled at her son's behaviour, and Tracy merely rolled her eyes.

"Well then, Severus," Dumbledore said, conjuring four chairs "I do believe you had best get on with it."

"Oh yes, I'll just 'get on with it', shall I?" the potions master repeated, growling angrily as he sat down on one of the conjured chairs. He held out his right hand towards the two teenagers sitting on the bed.

"I'll 'get on with it'," he said "once both of your wands are in my hand."

"As if I would hand over my wand to you," Harry replied, scowling at the professor. Snape raised an eyebrow at him in a surprisingly Malfoyish way, and then met Draco's eyes.

"Wands," he repeated firmly, showing he wasn't going to tell them anything until his demands had been met.

"You know, Sevvy," Draco began, reaching for his wand "the fact that you want our wands means that whatever you're about to say is really, really bad. Do you know how I know that? It's because _you _are scared of getting your balls blown off. Again."

Narcissa couldn't hold in the laughter as her son's statement conjured memories from the past; particularly funny memories, should you have been there to witness the event in real time. As it was, she was rather upset that she couldn't relive that one moment over and over again for the rest of her life.

It really had been hilarious.

Tracy looked confused for a few moments as his words sunk in, then suddenly burst out laughing as the memory hit her at full force. Yes, that had been one of the best moments of her entire life.

Dumbledore, being all knowing, had also seemed to catch the meaning of those words, and was currently staring at a perfectly blank wall with a knowing – not to mention amused – smile on his face.

Harry had not had any clue as to what Draco was referring to, but he did have the luxury of watching the different reactions. However, looking back on it, he would later decide that, as Draco sat beside him smirking triumphantly, Snape's reaction was by far the best.

For two short, insignificant seconds, Severus couldn't recall the reason as to why Draco had chosen that particular phrase, but Harry guessed the memory must have reached him sooner or later, judging by the events that followed.

After those two seconds, there was little reaction for a further few seconds; the potions professor was no doubt reliving the moments when his life ended in an absolutely hilarious though embarrassing way.

After the memory had hit him, Severus remained perfectly still. In fact, the only way to tell that he remembered anything at all was the fact that, from the base of his neck upwards, the potions professor was slowly turning a rather interesting shade of red – the type you often saw during sunset, only with more purple mixed into it. Harry made sure to create a mental picture of it, for he was sure he would never again witness the unearthing of such a wonderful colour.

Although, Harry couldn't really say that the colour suited the head of Slytherin.

DmHp

Ron mumbled angrily to himself as he threw down his quill, the words on the parchment swimming in front of him as he tried to write his Transfiguration essay. He just wasn't good at this kind of stuff; where was Hermione when you needed her?

Hermione…he missed the Gryffindor girl dearly, and cursed the day Malfoy had infected his two best friends with – well, with whatever it was that had gotten into them. Yes, Ron realized, Harry was probably a lost cause by now, but that didn't give him the right to drag his girlfriend into it to! Just because he had already succumbed to the shadows of the dark didn't mean that she could be corrupted just the same…

Ron scowled down at his homework, blaming it for his misery. It reminded him of all the other times he couldn't do his homework; all the times when Hermione had badgered him to get it done, refusing to help, then finally relenting and writing a few paragraphs of his essays for him. Hermione…

He felt the couch sink as extra weight was added to it, and glanced up to see his younger sister sitting beside him. The red haired girl offered him a small smile, patting his arm with one of her fragile hands.

"There, there," she said, trying to sound confident "they'll come back to us. You just wait; they'll both see what's going on. They're strong; you just have to believe in them. If we wait for them, believe in them, be there for them and welcome them back when the finally see the light then everything will be fine in the end."

Ron sighed at his sister's words, slinging an arm around the girls form.

"I'm sorry, Gin," he mumbled, letting her lean into him "this has been just as hard on you too. But Harry's too far gone, Ginny, it's best just to give up on him now."

"No, don't say that!" the youngest Weasley cried, sitting up straight, suddenly red in the cheeks. "He will come back to us, he will!"

Ron smiled sadly at the girl, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry that you fell in love with the wrong boy, Ginny."

Ron had expected his sister to begin to cry, wallowing in her self pity as the reality banged at her door, and so had opened his arms up to let her fling herself at him. But, to his surprise, his sister showed a strength he hadn't known was there, a defiant and loyal side that showed him just how much she cared.

"No!" She said firmly, folding her arms "he will come back. He loves me. I love him, and he will realize this. He'll see that I'm the one for him, not that stupid little ferret of a death eater! You just wait, he'll be begging for me to except him soon; and when he does, I'll say yes. We'll start to date, announce our love to the world, then marry and have three children after he has killed you-know-who. I will win!"

"I hope so Gin," Ron replied softly, shaking his head "I really do hope so."

DmHp

"Malfoy," Severus spoke after a while, his voice low and dangerous "I do seem to recall me forbidding you to ever mention that incident again."

Draco pretended to look thoughtful for a moment, before shaking his head.

"Nope," he stated "I remember no such thing. Although I do seem to remember vividly the shrieks of '_Help, help! Save me, please, I'm dying, my poor innocence, I'm dying!_'"

The rate at which the professor was changing colour sped up as the two women burst out laughing again, and Dumbledore began to chuckle softly from his spot beside the ex-death eater. Severus growled angrily, clenching his fist around his wand.

"Now, now, Sevy-poo," Draco couldn't resist the jibe "you might want to count to ten or something, before your wand snaps clean in two."

Even Harry couldn't resist laughing at this; although Snape didn't seem to find it amusing.

"Okay, okay, sorry to interrupt, but anyone care to explain how Snape got his, erm, balls, blown off in the first place?" Harry did try to keep a straight face, really he did. Only, he failed miserably.

Draco grinned at him, wrapping his arm securely around his waist again unconsciously; although the Gryffindor couldn't help but smile and blush a little at the loving gesture.

"Well, love, basically, when I was little-…"

"-You were a bloody brat and a pain in the arse that wouldn't leave me the hell alone!" Severus snapped, looking away from the couple as Tracy and Narcissa shared matching grins.

"Draco was our pride and joy, when he was young. Could charm my dresses green before he was even four, and that was with _my _wand so it took me days to find the culprit. But for some strange reason, Severus never particularly liked him once he turned six. You see, Severus was sometimes at our manor whilst Lucius was away, taking care of Draco in my husband's place. Of course, it wasn't often; after all, Severus is a teacher, and between juggling school and his work for the order, free time was hard to come by.

"But, anyway, when he came by, Draco would bug him for hours on end until Severus finally relented and taught him potions; they would spend hours locked up in that lab, mixing god only knows what whilst making sure to keep me out.

'One day, Tracy and I were looking for Draco to tell him that Lucius would be home soon – it was quite an event, in our home – and that he needed to be ready, when we heard an almighty crash coming from downstairs. Naturally, we sent numerous house elves ahead of us to investigate before heading down there ourselves; just in case.

'When we arrived, we found that, of all things, the lab had exploded, tearing half the corridor to pieces, not to mention destroying half their work. Anyway, there Draco was, right in the middle of it, grinning like mad and covered in whatever they had been messing about with that day; and there, on the floor, Severus was rolling around in agony, shrieking in the girliest voice I have ever heard that he'd lost all his innocence!"

Narcissa stopped hear, the giggles spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"It turns out, that during their little Potion making session, Draco had asked his godfather to make him an invisibility potion, and Severus had refused. Draco, being the little angel he was, had gotten into a huff about it, and grabbed Severus' wand from where he had left it carelessly by the cauldron. He threatened Severus; who had doubted my sons' ability and laughed at him. Draco then proceeded to wave the wand about haphazardly and _boom; _no more 'little Snape' for Severus."

"It was really quite funny," Tracy added, wiping away tears of mirth from her eyes "to hear him of all people crying out like a girl. You should have heard some of the things he said; he was crying for his mummy! When Lucius came home, just a few moments after, he was _laughing_! Lucius, of all people, _laughing_ his head off at his best friend who was still lying on the floor shrieking about innocence and 'bratty little kids' that 'ought to loose _their _innocence'. Lucius told him it was his own fault, but in the end took him to the hospital. I don't doubt that that was one particularly embarrassing operation for _everyone _involved!"

Harry laughed at this, shaking his head as Severus huffed indignantly, pouting a little; which of course, made everyone in the room laugh harder. Snape really couldn't pull off cutesy girl very well. That _definitely _didn't suit him.

DmHp

Hermione frowned down at her essay, twirling her quill in one hand as she moved her hair out of her face with the other. This homework thing wasn't really going well, seeing as she had other things on her mind; other things that had very little to do with homework and even less to do with Charms.

Pansy Parkinson…

Hermione growled angrily to herself, rolling her eyes as the Slytherin girl entered her thoughts again.

'_We're just friends,_' the Gryffindor told herself, scribbling something else down onto the parchment '_friends and nothing more_.'

Hermione paid no attention as the library door opened, a crowd of bubbly fourth years disturbing the peaceful silence as they passed by her table. She glanced at one of the books she was using as research material, dragging it closer to read through one of the passages again. Now where was that bit about the affects of potions on a simple cheering charm…?

'_It would be much quicker if Pansy was here to help_,' Hermione found herself thinking, resting her head in her hand as she scanned the page in front of her '_I wouldn't be as bored then either…_'

_**No**_a little voice joined in the conversation, _**but you wouldn't be getting any work done either. **_

Hermione almost laughed, shaking her head as she pushed the book away.

'_Yes, because of course, I'm getting lots done as it is now…_'

DmHp

"That story, as fascinating as it may be, has absolutely nothing to do with why we are here," Severus stated, giving up on trying to gain control of the student's wands.

"Oh, yes, right, of course," Harry replied through his giggles "explain away."

Severus sighed, rolling his eyes at the giggly Gryffindor before launching into an explanation.

"Draco…Draco, do you remember once, when you were very little, there was a time when your father was the kind, caring, gentle person you still love today?"

Draco's face immediately hardened, and Harry's laughter died away at the mention of the death eater.

"I have no father," was the dry reply. Severus frowned, rubbing his temples. He knew this was going to be hard.

"Draco, please."

The blonde sighed, a small grimace gracing his features.

"All right then, yes. Yes, I do. What of it?"

"Draco…," Narcissa cut in, smiling gently "you have to remember, when it comes to your father, that he was not always the man he is today. Once, when we first married, he cared for me dearly, and I- he was a great friend, once. He gave me my freedom, he gave me my space, and he let me do as I wished.

"Not long after we married, this whole thing with the Dark Lord became so much more serious then we had originally thought. I had been surprised, when I found out that Lucius was a follower of his, simply because I knew that he was not the type of man to go around killing people for no good reason. Sure, he had his reservations towards muggles – most of his views had been pressed upon him by his own father – but he did not wish to kill every muggle born who got in his way. However, I did not question his choice, and we never spoke of it.

"He was delighted when he first heard the news of my pregnancy, but shortly after he began to withdraw into himself; he changed so much. I figured the power had gone to his head, and after a few years of watching him bring you up…I quickly decided that perhaps he had been evil all along.

"But, Draco, if I recall correctly… until you were about four, Lucius was – at least around the home if not in public – a kind, loving father to you. He was very proud of you, my son, only…things were expected of him, and being a caring father was not on that list."

Harry regarded Narcissa with raised eyebrows, then looked over at Draco to his reaction to the whole thing. The blonde had put up a mask again, but upon tilting his head slightly one way, Harry realized that Draco was trying to hide his look of pain. Harry squeezed the veela's hand in reassurance, then turned back to the Malfoy woman.

"Yes, I remember all of that," Draco stated, not letting anything show through the mask "so what?"

"Draco…" Severus sighed "Lucius is at Hogwarts."

DmHp

A/N; well, that be all for now. Don't worry, I _will _have another chapter up soon, and it will be a lot better than this one; which I wrote in rather a rush and have yet to spell check. I will most likely come back and replace this one at some point, but for now I just want to get it up for you all.

Reviews are appreciated!

Edited; 17-06-07 (with original A/N's)


	19. For a moment

A/N; okay, big apologies about another long wait for this update, but fuck me have things been rough. I haven't been living in my normal house with family for nearly three weeks, and the 17th (ish, I wasn't really keeping track) was the first time I had access to a bloody computer! Things are getting better at home, but I'm still not going to make any silly promises about going back into a weekly update routine – though I _will _try and update as often as possible.

On a happier note, **thank you **_all _for the reviews, they're very much appreciated. I only read them today, so I'm sorry I haven't replied to them, but thank you all the same; I was smiling constantly for the next few hours! 

Disclaimer; sigh don't own a thing, unfortunately…if I did, there would be some _major _changes to the books!

Warnings; same old, same old

Speech "blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_'

DmHp

* * *

Pansy sighed heavily, adjusting the strap of her bag into a more comfortable position over her shoulder. Carelessly kicking the door of the library shut behind her, the Slytherin pulled a face at the librarian's back after receiving her trade-mark glare. She walked quickly over to the appropriate area of the shelves, setting down that ever so annoying bag with its 'I-hate-you-and-will-forever-make-it-my-goal-to-make-you-hurt-like-hell' strap onto a nearby table before lowering herself gently into a chair.

The Slytherin girl sighed, stretching her arms above her head as a yawn escaped her lips. Mentally berating herself, she quickly regained her posture and looked around, praying no one had spotted her. No one had. No one of any great importance, anyway. There was a crowd of chatty forth year girls that were passing by on their way out of the library, but a menacing growl sent on them their way with only a terrified squeal as any proof they had seen her.

"Annoying – teenagers - aren't they?"

Pansy grinned as Hermione set her bag down opposite her, spreading out her books and parchment whilst making whilst making herself comfortable.

"Been here long?" The darker haired female asked, pulling out her own books.

"About fifteen minutes," was the reply, quill already in hand but words yet to be written "I couldn't really concentrate,"

'_**Don't you just wish that you were the reason why?...**'_

Pansy ignored her minds treacherous comment, and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Care to share?"

Was that a blush on Hermione's cheeks?

The Gryffindor shook her head quickly, giving a sheepish smile. Yep, definitely a blush.

"Nope," came the meek reply, followed by the scratching of a quill "just thinking, is all."

DmHp

Draco had, all things considered, taken the news fairly well. He had blinked. He had blinked again. Then he had taken a moment to blink once more.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, frowning a little. He didn't like Lucius Malfoy, and he wasn't going to pretend to just because he _was _a good person…but if Draco was fine with it, who was he to complain? Speaking of Draco…

The Gryffindor glanced sideways at the veela, then kissed the Slytherin's cheek in a reassuring manner. '_What on earth compelled me to do that?...'_

But it didn't matter _why _he had done it, because the fact that he did it had brought a small smile to the Draco's face, and that was good enough for now.

"Please, Draco, you have to understand, the circumstances are different now," Snape said, keeping his voice even and unemotional "you have to just trust us for now."

The blonde met Harry's gaze, seemingly unaware of all that was around him for the moment. He stared hard into Harry's eyes, then lent forward and drew the dark haired teenager in for a kiss. It was short, with no tongue, but it was sweet and gentle, making Harry melt from the inside out.

"What was that for?" Harry asked softly, his head still close the veela's.

Draco didn't reply, instead simply increasing his hold around his mate's waist and turning back to face the adults in the room.

"The moment he does_ anything_ to harm my mate, I will kill him."

He was deadly serious.

Severus gulped.

"I don't doubt that," Narcissa mumbled, rolling her eyes. Harry looked a little stunned, but a soft hug from the Slytherin beside him helped him settle a little.

"Understood," Snape stated, shaking his head a little "just let me explain,"

Draco nodded.

"Explain away."

DmHp

Ron growled angrily as the noise in the common room increased dramatically, shouts and cheers and celebrations ringing through his ears all because the portrait door had opened. Throwing down his quill, the red-haired boy stood up, just in time to see two identical mops of Weasley red hair disappear from view as a crowd of students swarmed around the twins.

"Fred! George!" Ron grinned widely at his brothers, expecting them to grin back then bound over, slap him on the back and proclaim loudly for everyone to hear that they were back to back Potter and Malfoy pay…but the didn't.

One of the twins – maybe George, but he wasn't sure – saw him, and nudged the other twin. The other said something, and the two laughed, then did something which, no matter how much Ron mulled over it, the youngest male Weasley could never understand.

They turned away.

And the last view of his brothers Ron received that night was their backs as they walked out of the portrait door, surrounded by a mob of cheerful students and well-wishers.

DmHp

"You failed to complete my task."

The hissed statement – and it was hardly even a statement, more of a sentence that demanded truth as a reply although it declared it already knew all – caused a shiver to run down the spine of each of the cloaked figures in the circle, not one of the many gathered daring to meet the piercing gaze.

"I send my finest, by bravest, my most _loyal _servants to find the whereabouts of the snake and the traitor, and yet my request remains incomplete. Explain,"

"M-m-my L-lord," someone was daring – or maybe stupid – enough to mumbled "it is likely they took themselves to Hogwarts-…"

"Nonsense!" Voldermort barked, twirling his wand idly in his right hand "Snape is not foolish enough to hide somewhere so obvious, and the 'Lord Malfoy' would be killed upon sight even if the did return. No, no, they will be hidden out of the way, far out the clutches of Dumbledee and army of mudbloods…and if they are ignorant enough to think themselves safe from _my _clutches, let no one here live to see them still alive tomorrow at dawn!

_I. Want. Them. Dead!_"

DmHP

Lucius blinked slowly as the door to the headmaster's office opened silently, frowning in disappointment as only Snape and Dumbledore entered, both showing few emotions in an obvious and poor attempt to console him.

The blonde man let his mask slip completely as they shut the door after a moment, slumping back in his chair as he bowed his head and lowered his eyes to the floor. None of the Malfoy poise and arrogance was left within him, and his confidence had certainly shattered along with his only chance at happiness.

"They hate me."

It certainly wasn't a question. It was more of a reluctance acceptance of truth simply because nothing could be done about it; even if he wasn't happy with the outcome.

"We're considering it."

DmHp

Harry had been understandably confused when Malfoy senior had dropped his mask, letting his emotions play on his face. The man looked so worn out, so, so…so dejected and yet resigned to his fate as though he had been expecting it all along. The Gryffindor turned to the veela beside him, who was standing with his legs bent at the knees so he could fit under the cloak. Draco was biting his lip as his father spoke those three depressed words, his brows furrowed as he mulled over the facts so far presented.

It had been decided, in the hospital wing, that they all – Dumbledore, Snape, Narcissa, Tracy, Harry and Draco – would indeed go to see Lucius to begin the questioning, but only Dumbledore and Snape would be visible. It was times like these when Harry really appreciated his dad's old cloak, whilst the two Malfoy women had used some sort of old charm to make themselves invisibility cloak (Harry didn't listen to the words, being to preoccupied with keeping Draco calm and away from his wand).

And so, there they were, simply staring at the head of the Malfoy household who looked very little like the supposedly ex-deatheater they knew him to be. The youngest blonde looked even more stunned then his mate, and so Harry very carefully and slowly inched towards the Slytherin, finally planting a soft kiss on his cheek that seemed to snap him out of his thoughts.

Draco turned to face him a little, and gave a sad and almost apologetic smile before throwing the cloak off of them and to the floor.

"We're considering it."

If Lucius Malfoy did _anything _to hurt his mate, Draco would be unquestionably furious.

DmHp

Narcissa's eyes widened in surprise as her two sons – well, one son and a boy who may as well be her own but really couldn't be because otherwise the whole mating thing might not work out so well – came into clear view, holding hands and smiling in an absolutely adorable way at each other. Then, turning fully to face the elder male Malfoy, Draco spoke three as equally shocking words as the ones his father had uttered just seconds before him.

"We're considering it."

Narcissa gasped, quickly undoing the two complicated charms she had mixed to create an invisibility shield, stepping forward into view only a moment or so before her step daughter did the same.

The look on Lucius' face…if she had a camera on her – or indeed, if she knew how to work one in the first place - the photo would have been stuck to every inch of every wall within the hour.

DmHp

Lucius blinked. Then he blinked again. Then he blinked once more, just to be sure of course. Upon determining the fact that yes, his son _was _standing in front of him and that yes, he _was _holding hands with the Gryffindor golden boy and that yes, his wife and illegitimate child _were _standing behind them, the blonde man straightened up, smoothing out some of the wrinkles in his clothes as he desperately tried to hide the shock and hope that undoubtedly covered his face…oh, and if he could just tell his bloody jaw that its instructions were clearly that both lips were to remain in _constant _contact with each other at _all bloody times…_

"Malfoy's don't show emotions," was Draco's next statement, making sure to keep his face as emotionless as possible. Dumbledore smiled happily, grasping his hands behind his back as he stepped into the shadows to give the family at least a little privacy, Snape following.

Lucius lifted one perfect, well groomed eyebrow – leaving no room for doubt that yes, Draco was very much his son – and let a small smirk grace his lips, neatly crossing his legs as he folded his legs and leaned back majestically, showing that he was the one who would come out tops in this little battle of the wits.

"In that case, it's a good thing that you're half Black, isn't it, Draco?" the elder man asked, looking pointedly at where Draco had a tight hold on Harry's hand.

A light blush scattered Harry's face as he tried to pull his hand away unnoticed; definitely not used to any public sign of affection around people he was not comfortable with. This relatively normal and easy to solve fear led to full blown panic that perhaps Draco didn't _want _anyone to know, was ashamed of him, or perhaps simply didn't want him there. He had done so much wrong, why was Draco still there with him? And this was a private family moment anyway, perhaps he should just leave and talk things through with Draco later…

The veela, however, tried to calm his mate's fear by simply his running his thumb repeatedly over the back of the Gryffindor's hand in a soothing motion, attempting to split his concentration between his father and his mate.

Draco cocked his head to the side slightly, surveying his father critically as he spared a comforting glance at his mate, trying to smother his agitation in one single, loving look. Harry almost winced, _almost_, and tried to smile back…_almost _managing to conjure a convincing, happy look.

The Slytherin actually rolled his eyes, turning back to his father…then did something which shocked _everyone _in the room even more so (which was a hard thing to do, considering with what they had to contend to).

"Excuse me a moment," he said in false politeness, before grinning manically at his mate and pulling the Gryffindor close, one arm snaking its way around his waist.

Harry squealed in surprise, pushing his hands against Draco's chest in protest before the Slytherin swooped in and captured his lips in a tender though highly passionate kiss, his tongue invading Harry's mouth without any warning.

The raven haired teenager tried to resist for a moment, managing to remember just exactly _where _he was and _who _was there with him. But his body was working against his brain, his arms hardly even pushing anymore, his groin reacting as though it had a brain of its own; and then it was just him and Draco, his veela…yes, _his _veela, _his _Draco, and it was only the two of them in their perfect, uninterrupted world. He let his arms wrap around Draco's neck, his hands entangling themselves in the soft, silky hair that he loved so much.

The moment ended all too soon with the blonde nipping softly at Harry's bottom lip before drawing back, keeping their faces hardly an inch apart.

"I love you," he stated clearly and loudly, leaving no doubt to anyone in the room that he really did love the Gryffindor- not that anyone had doubted that fact in the first place, as they would have to have been a fool to do so. Harry blushed a darker shade of red, causing the veela to smile cheekily at him, though he still rose to the challenge and answered just as clearly.

"I love you too."

Draco pecked his lips once more, running his tongue over Harry's bottom lip as a promise for later.

"Awwwwwwwe….that was so sweet!" Tracy cried, clapping her hands together childishly as she bounced on the balls of her face. "Go Dray, go Dray, go Dray…sorry." She trailed off as she received a death glare from the subject of her chant.

"As nice as it was, I do have to ask that you refrain from doing that in front of me ever, ever again."

"Oh, come now Lucius," Narcissa said, a small smile playing on her lips "surely you remember that you were just the same way when we first mated?"

The blonde's smirk returned at full force, his eyebrows raising again "how could I forget the soft touch of a half veela Black who, if I remember correctly, was more eager then even me to get the 'proceedings' underway,"

Narcissa did not blush, because the wife of a Malfoy and daughter of a Black simply did _not _blush. She did, however, apply a thin layer of a pinkish blush cream whilst no one was looking.

"Oh, gross," Tracy groaned, simultaneously shaking her head and covering her ears "seriously, not in front of the kids!"

Harry, who was now feeling a lot better - though a little light headed (and had someone turned the heat up in that room or something?) -, stepped away from Draco, though they still held hands. He watched with mild curiosity as the Malfoy's conversed, cracking light-hearted jokes as though they had never parted, as though the entire war was nothing more then a tale of an event which was currently taking place many, many thousands of miles away. But not there. Not in that room. Not within that family.

Not at that moment, at least.

DmHp

A/N; okay, so it's a little short, I haven't spell checked it and I still didn't get the actual questioning written, but I really just wanted to get this up. I'm really annoyed, because I had the next three entire chapters completely written out, and I bloody well left them at this place where I was staying! I rang, but they said the rooms empty, so they most likely binned my work…grrrrr!!!! So now I have to write everything from scratch, so I'm just a little pissed off. Just a little.

Anyway, yeah, sorry about everything, but this story isn't high on my list of priorities at the moment. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I've written it, and I hope you can all be as brilliant as you have been and bear with me just a little longer while I get my life sorted out.

Good night all!


	20. Family

A/N; Gees does time fly fast! I can't believe it's already been around three months since I last updated (erm, oops? Sorry guys, but things didn't actually get better like I hoped. They got just a _little _worse  ) but I hope you all find this chapter satisfactory…and if you don't, I ask that you take a moment to carefully consider which item would be most be most suitable for my disembowelment whilst I cunningly use this time to run wildly in the opposite direction. Thank you.

Disclaimer; wait, people can get _money _for this? Where do I sign?

Warnings; I wonder if I can get paid for writing these things too…

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_' or, on occasions, '**_Blah_**'.

* * *

DmHp 

Hermione sighed dramatically, throwing down her quill as she made yet another mistake in her essay. Furious at herself, she read over her work again, shaking her head and muttering under breath as she realized it made little to no sense, before balling up the parchment and pushing it over the table.

Pansy looked up from her own homework, surveying the Gryffindor as she crossed her arms and laid her head upon them in a way that suggested she was _very _fed up.

The Slytherin look down at her own work, and smiled when she saw just how little she had managed to complete, and began to pack her books away.

"Hey, 'Mione?"

The girl in question raised her head. "What?"

"Let's go outside, okay?"

Hermione furrowed her brows, looking out of a nearby window. "But…"

"No buts," Pansy stated, packing the other girl's stuff up as well "it's not like we're getting anything done here anyway, and you look way too tired for your own good." She stood up, and, giving Hermione no time to protest, slung both of their bags over her shoulders and began to walk out.

Hermione stared in shock at the space where Pansy _had _been sitting, before swinging her head around to stare at her retreating back. That girl was mad, she decided, looking out of the window once more at the darkening sky. It was bound to be freezing…

But it was Pansy after all, and she was sure spending time with the Slytherin would make up for it.

"Hey! Wait up then!"

DmHp

"There's no other way to do this," Dumbledore said, handing a small glass globe over to Lucius "If we put him subject him to veritaserum we could be here all day trying to ask the right questions," he explained "but the orb will let him speak freely and glow red when he tells a lie."

Lucius turned the orb over, tossing in into the air and catching it again absently.

"Are you sure it works?" Tracy asked, eyeing the globe with suspicion.

"Let's find out. What's your full name?" The headmaster asked cheerily.

"Lucius Malfoy," was the dull reply.

"No middle name? Ouch!" Harry questioned curiously, before the teenager beside him elbowed him in the ribs, a small smirk playing on his lips all the same.

"No, no middle name."

"Year of birth?"

"1954." (1)

"Did you own a teddy as a little kid?"

Lucius shot a glare at the only Gryffindor present in the room, who grinned sheepishly at him as the other's chuckled.

"No," the blonde adult snapped, turning his glare to the globe as it lit up a dazzlingly bright red. "Oh all right, fine. Yes, I did."

Draco laughed outright at that, shaking his head at his father. "I can just imagine," he commented.

"Shut it, kid,"

"Hey!"

"I have a question," Severus immediately had the attention of everyone present "why did you not become a spy for the light; when you pressured me into leaving, I mean."

Lucius sighed, thoughtfully regarding the man he had once had the pleasure of calling friend.

"Straight to the difficult questions I see." Lucius paused, choosing his words carefully.

"You Severus…you were always smarter than me. Sure, whilst in school, I was the one who led the group, and you were the one who was ridiculed for it – but you were the brains behind _everything_. Every plot, every course of action the Slytherins' took; it was always _your _idea. You never admitted to it, of course – you have always been far too much of a Slytherin for that – but you planted the seed of a plan and let someone else nurture it. They took all the credit, but you had the pleasure of knowing it was _your _cunning that gave them their glory.

When we decided to leave the dark lords' services; well, that was your idea too. But, just like in school, you planted the idea into my head, doing nothing about it yourself. Sure, it was me who told you to escape, to except this old coots help (his eyes flickered over to Dumbledore) but I would never have said those things if it hadn't been for _you _handing me the idea on a silver platter.

I remember the exact words you said to me. We were in my study, researching for something or other – I can't remember what, but it's not important anyway – and you suddenly turned around and said to me 'did you always hope your life would turn out this way?' You, Severus Snape, are a git.

But, anyway, _you_ deserved the chance to live. If I'm right – and I'm _always _right – you would never have become a death eater if it wasn't for me, and so it was my duty to protect you. I made it my goal to save _you. _I guess I could have found my freedom; had I really wanted it, but so long as you could take care of my family I had no other motivation to leave the Dark Lords' side. Besides, I am not much of an actor, and have always been a coward. My services – my _money _– were too highly valued by our master, and had I been caught…you at least had a small chance at a happy life."

The orb remained colourless.

No one spoke for a few moments, and it was Harry who regretfully broke the silence in a timid voice.

"Urm- well…I know it's not really my place to ask and all, but something's been bugging me – why did you become a Death Eater in the first place?"

Lucius chuckled a little and lent forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"You, Mister Potter, have been brought up in a world of lies and ignorance. You lived through the first six years of your wizarding life believing that all Slytherin students were destined to be evil and join Voldermorts' ranks; and look where you are now.

Your godfather, Sirius Black – did he ever mention to you his brother? His family?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the connection. He nodded slowly, a wry grin forming on his lips.

"I've had a few _conversations_ with his mother."

Snape snorted, rolling his eyes.

Lucius smirked. "I don't doubt you have. Regulus Black is a prime example of a typical pureblood male. Brought up with idealistic views in a pureblood society, Regulus joined Voldermort wanting to rid the world of muggleborns – purely and simply because he thought it was the _right thing to do_. His childhood had taught him that they were lower than him, _scum_ that simply shouldn't be allowed to enter a pureblood world. It wasn't his fault; he didn't know any better. Regulus, however, got in a little over his head.

Many people, upon joining Voldermort on his crusade, began to realise the truth the idealistic view that had been created; no matter how many people believed they were doing the right thing, half of them always felt that the dark lord was simply going about it the wrong way. We are, surprisingly enough, human.

I admit, there _are _many people who really and truly believe that Voldermort is in the right frame of mind, but there are so many more of us that are trapped by our own cowardice."

Draco scowled angrily, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Nicely done, father."

Lucius raised his eyebrows at his son.

"You avoided the question nicely," Draco drawled, narrowing his eyes "but you never told us why _you _joined Voldermort."

Lucius laughed, throwing his head back as the deep, throaty sound rang out across the room.

"Thank you, Draco. I forgot for a moment there that you truly are my son."

"All in a days work."

DmHp

"Hey- is that…Hermione?"

George peeked out from behind the tapestry and looked in the direction in which his brother pointed, grinning widely as he spotted two females running through the corridors; Hermione being dragged along by the hand by someone else.

"Well, well, well," George laughed, pushing the tapestry back into place "looks like we're not the only ones with a little secret."

Fred snorted, adding another ingredient to the cauldron. "Ours is hardly secret," he commented, watching as the mixture frothed dangerously "I mean, Harry and Draco know that we're out for revenge."

George rolled his eyes, sitting crossed legged opposite his twin.

"Well, Hermione's secret looks more interesting anyway."

The twins shared a grin, then returned to their potion making.

DmHp

"If you really must know," Lucius started, rolling his eyes "at first, I too believed it was the right thing to do. A Malfoy upbringing is very different to anything you could ever imagine, Mister Potter, though I'm sure Draco knows only too well. I hardly ever saw my parents – though I was spoiled rotten, more because they could afford it than they wanted to make up for it – and when I did it was for formal occasions or 'lessons'. I was constantly surrounded by closed-minded purebloods, and, fresh out of Hogwarts, I held my own idealistic principles. A totally pure-blooded magical world was just one of them.

I joined the Dark Lord because I wanted to. I do not deny it.

I am not, however, as naïve as I once was.

Very much like you soon will, Potter, I quickly learned that not everything in the world is black and white, good or bad. Severus here, for example, is grey all over – though I am not ignorant enough to believe that I shall remain alive should I choose to tell you why. Never-the-less, I soon began to despise the dark lord and all his doings. Even if he had the right idea, he should have been trying to gain support by making others believe he was right – instead he was churning up more and more hatred for us by the minute.

After he heard mention of the prophecy, his world was narrowed so far that it only consisted of you, Mr. Potter, and many people hate him for that and that alone. He no longer wants to rid the world of muggles and such like; he wants to rid _his _world of _you_. Everyone he takes down in doing so is merely a seasoning, and so he hardly cares. Your death is the only thing he yearns for."

"Did you-…" All eyes flickered over to Narcissa, who was wringing her hands nervously (since when had _she _become so open?) and staring at the floor. "Did you ever love me?"

"Yes. Never doubt it."

The orb remained colourless.

Narcissa burst into tears.

After that, the rest of the questioning passed in a blur for Draco; many of the questions that were asked were replied with expected answers, and finally his mother called a stop to the whole thing by rushing forward and hugging her husband. Lucius, after looking sufficiently startled for a few moments, dropped the orb to the floor and tentatively wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman, whispering unheard words into her ear.

Once the younger blonde also threw himself into the fray – Tracy joining not long after, as she too was family -, Harry had to admit that he felt like an intruder in a private moment and so, quickly and quietly, he left the room, shutting the door silently with a large grin on his face.

This was one of the precious memories that he was sure Draco would treasure forever after.

DmHp

"You, Mister. Potter, are highly unusual."

Harry stopped in his tracks, wincing as he turned around in the middle of the corridor. He had only left five or so minutes beforehand, but had taken the long route back to the infirmary (figuring that Draco would be sent there later to rest up a little more).

Lucius Malfoy was lent on a walking stick that the headmaster had kindly provided to hide the limp he now suffered from, and stood smirking not too far away in a manner that reminded the Gryffindor of the man he had met once before in his second year. He wondered just how much difference there was between the two men, and quickly decided it was best not to dwell on the subject.

There was no Dobby here to protect him now.

"What makes you say that?" Harry finally asked, running a hand through his hair.

The blonde man raised didn't reply for a moment, but when he did Harry knew there was no room for argument.

"You shouldn't have left."

"It was a private family moment. I was intruding."

Or at least, Lucius had _meant _there to be no room for argument.

"From what I hear, you are soon to be part of my family."

Harry stuck his hands in his pockets, not quite sure what to say to that.

"And so," Lucius continued "surely you are to be included in such moments?"

"I – I figured you wouldn't want me there. It's fine; that's your wife and son up there, and they've missed you. I understand. You all need your time alone together, and I'm prepared to give it to you. Go – go, be with your family." Harry turned away.

Lucius was half inclined to ask the young man just who the hell he thought he was ordering a Malfoy around, but calmly kept that voice in check with a firm '_he's you sons' mate. Play nice._'

"If you are not there, Mister. Potter, I do believe my son will feel highly upset. I don't believe you've ever had the luxury of entertaining a sulking Draco Malfoy, but you should know that he_ pouts_. Malfoy's don't _pout_."

His comment had the desired effect, as Harry turned back to face him and burst out laughing.

"Oh, don't worry, sir, I've seen your son pouting. He's very good at it."

"Yes, that's what worries me."

Harry only laughed harder.

"And so you see why I would much prefer it if you were there with us, Harry."

Lucius held out his hand.

"Truce?"

Harry stared blankly at it for a moment, before smiling and shaking his hand.

"Truce," he confirmed. Lucius let go of his hand, and they both began to head back towards the office.

"You realise, of course, that if you ever hurt my son, I _will _have to kill you?"

DmHp

When the finally slipped outside the castle doors, neither girl paid any attention to the fact that they were still holding hands, and began a casual walk in the direction of the lake. Pulling her cloak a little tighter around her body, Hermione shivered as the cold wind hit her skin.

"I forgot that it would be so cold."

Hermione laughed at Pansys' choice of statement, and felt glad that she had said it. She had had no clue what to say, and at least now she could reply with the obvious.

"You're crazy,"

Pansy shrugged, wrapping her own cloak more firmly around her body.

"Well, you didn't object to it, did you?"

Hermione smiled lazily, shifting her bag uncomfortably on her shoulder and dropping it gratefully to the ground as they stopped under one of the larger trees for shelter.

"Look at the sunset," Pansy pointed of into the distance, where the sun was just slipping below the horizon line of the forest, sending out rays of golden light.

"It's beautiful," Hermione murmured, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah, beautiful," Pansy agreed. But she wasn't looking at the sunset.

DmHp

Ginny glance down the darkened corridor ahead of her to make sure it really was devoid of all teachers, then sprinted up to the doors of the infirmary. Quickly adjusting her hair and clothes, she quietly slipped inside.

DmHp

Draco stared down at the sleeping form of his mate, grinning a little as the Gryffindor frowned in his sleep before snuggling closer as he had done many times before. The blonde hated being stuck back inside the hospital wing, but laying with Harry curled up close brightened his mood considerably.

DmHp

Ginny tiptoed inside, making her way to the back of the room where she was sure Harry would be. Softly drawing back the curtains, she put out her wand upon noticing the already lit lamps which provided the area with an almost surreal glow.

Her eyes fell upon the bed which her crush shared, and she immediately noticed that the Slytherin of the couple was awake, though he had clearly yet to notice her. He was lying on his side, his head supported by his arm as he simply _watched _Harry as he slept.

The two were both naked from the chest upwards, but Harry was more or less curled towards Draco so she could see little of his chest. The sheets fell to the Slytherins' waist, not that she particularly cared, but she did have to admit that he was cute.

She looked on in confusion as the boy she had admired for so long snuggled closer to the blonde, and listened intently as she heard said blonde emit a content sigh.

The couple looked perfect together – as much as she hated to say it – and the dim light surrounded the two in an overly clichéd but soft angelic glow that simply tugged gently at her heartstrings.

_How can I ruin this?_

Draco sighed softly, and pressed the lightest of kisses to Harry's forehead, before drawing back and gazing upon his love once more.

The box of chocolates in her hand clattered to the floor as she recognized the look upon Draco's face; a look which clearly said he loved Harry more than she ever could.

DmHp

Draco looked up, startled, as he heard something fall to the ground, shocked that he had not noticed the presence of anyone else in the room. He grabbed at the sheets and pulled the protectively over his mate's body, sitting up whilst being careful not to wake the Gryffindor.

Ginny Weasley stood by the curtains, her hair neatly pulled back into a braid and tied with a gold ribbon. She was dressed in a pair of red tank pyjamas, obviously trying to look sweet an innocent.

She looked rather shocked, actually, and her wand followed the – box of chocolates? – to the floor.

Draco began to growl softly, assuming she was there to try and compromise his relationship with Harry, but was interrupted by her quiet, resigned voice.

"You really love him, don't you?"

It was Draco's turn to be surprised, but he answered none-the-less.

"Yes."

"And he loves you?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

Ginny sighed, walking forward a few paces to come closer to the bed, and stood with her arms folded.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, slowly shaking head as she shuffled from foot to foot "I- I don't know what I was thinking. I won't try and intrude on your relationship again, I swear it."

The blonde merely raised the second eyebrow.

"I mean, I didn't think that – and, you know – and, well, I'm sorry."

"You should apologise to Harry, not me. He loves you like a sister, really – I know it would mean the world to him if you came back in the morning and apologised for whatever it was you were thinking."

Ginny nodded a little, quickly wiping away a tear that had made its way down her cheek, and smiled thankfully at Draco.

"Um – thank you."

Draco nodded.

"This doesn't mean we're friends."

DmHp

* * *

Info found on hp-lexicon if you're interested. 

A/N; well, there we are, another chapter over with.

I changed the plot with Ginny because, quite frankly, the whole idea was really clichéd, and I would like to try and write in a brother/sister relationship; but don't worry, she will have to work for the forgiveness!

I'm sorry that this chapter hasn't been checked over, and I'm also sorry that it was really very boring; but I hope you stick with me anyway! I really will try to get another chapter out soon, but I'm not going to make any promises that I can't keep.

Oh, and also, if there's any other questions you wanted Lucius to answer, let me know in a review and I'll try to work them in (like in a flashback or something).

Reviews would be appreciated, thanks muchly. Cya!


	21. Tranquillity

A/N- And here we are, finally, with another chapter. Sheesh, I thought this chapter would never end!

Special mention goes to Dreamer of Destiny, because I have to admit that it was their review that set that mind of mine off on the path which eventually led to Ginny becoming nice again. That sub-plot really was too clichéd, and after reading one too many similar fics I gave up on the idea of ever managing to make that kind of thing work. Let's face it people, I cannot write trashy romance to save my life.

Disclaimer – oh boy am I bored of writing this. Well let's see…if I owned _any _kind of rights to Harry Potter, do you really think I would be sitting here writing this? I'm glad you agree with me.

Warnings – Slash, cursing (which, incidentally, I've been forbidden to do at school, 'cos some mates of mine think I swear too much. I don't, really) and mentions of abuse/self harm. Enjoy.

Speech "Blah"

Thoughts '_Blah_' and sometimes '**_Blah_**'

* * *

DmHp 

"What do you mean, _you can't find him_?" The Dark Lord sneered, his knuckles turning white as he tightened his grip on his wand.

Pettigrew had jumped and emitted a little squeak, but now shivered as he attempted to stutter out a reply.

"W-w-well, you s-see, he – ah, he, um, w-well…"

Seeing the smaller man was only irritating their master further, another death eater stepped forward.

"Milord." After receiving a glare of recognition, the man continued "It appears as though the traitors have simple…disappeared. However, 'Milord, I'm almost certain that there are, ah, methods of _persuasion _we could use to force them out into the open."

Voldermort raised an eyebrow, sneering at the man. "If you think Lucius is stupid enough to run without making sure his family is safe, you are even more idiotic than I previously thought. Unless, of course, you are implying that I cannot form a plan of action myself?"

The death eater's eyes widened in fear, and the man quickly shook his head, denying the accusation.

"N-never, my Lord," the man stumbled over his words, no longer laughing at Pettigrew inside his head for his nervousness "I was merely stating that-…"

"Shut up, Anderson." Voldermort snapped, making the man hastily step back into his original position in the circle. The snake like man stood, glaring at each of the men gathered with equal displeasure.

"You disappoint me, my so _loyal _subjects. Just when I was beginning to think of you as almost _worthy_, something such as this has to happen to make me think otherwise. I guess you're just going to have to make it up to me."

A collective shiver passed through the death eaters as Voldermort smiled sweetly, each knowing that he was in the mood for punishment. The man kept on walking, smirking at Pettigrew as the rat crawled back to his place, twirling his wand in his right hand. Each hooded figure breathed a silent sigh of relief as he passed them, thinking that they were safe.

"Ah, Crabbe, Goyle."

The two men stiffened, turning their heads towards their master and answering as one.

"Milord?"

"You were close to Mr. Malfoy, were you not?"

The two men almost laughed at the hilarity of the situation, only just managing to keep a straight face. Close with a Malfoy? Their Lord was just picking on them because they were more faithful to Lucius then they were to him, and he knew it.

"I suppose you could say that, My Lord," Goyle answered, keeping his voice even and choosing his words carefully. "only, he told us very little. We have not been as friendly of late as we once were."

"Still," Voldermort was still smiling, telling them that he was _very _annoyed "surely you could have picked up on the fact that he was never as loyal as you?"

'_Oh, I picked up on it. You never did, though,'_ was Crabbe's thoughts, but it wasn't what he said to his master.

"He never mentioned anything, My Lord. We never thought he would even think about abandoning the cause."

"_The Cause_?" Voldermort drawled, scowling lightly. "Is that what it's called now? _The bloody cause_? Crucio!"

Crabbe's knees gave way as the curse hit him, the pain sending him to the floor screaming.

"Listen up, all of you!" Voldermort finally let up on the curse, leaving the man to lie twitching as he walked to the middle of circle. "Don't kid yourselves. You're not in this for _the cause _- you are here to serve me! Me and me alone! Don't you bloody forget it! Zabini?"

The women in question stepped forward.

"Owl your son. I have a job for him."

DmHp

Harry rolled over, pulling the covers a little closer as the cold morning air washed over him. Not opening his eyes, he stretched out an arm, searching for Draco in the empty space beside him. Empty?

Harry snapped his eyes opening, sitting up in panic as he looked around frantically for his mate, screaming in his mind as he found he couldn't see him anywhere.

'_Shit oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh my god, Draco!'_

Trying to not let his mind linger too much on the limitless possibilities as to what might have happened (the most terrifying scenario being that the veela had left him during the night, no longer wanting to be with someone so clingy and needy), the boy fumbled to put his glasses on, throwing back the covers as he made to search for the Slytherin.

"He only went to the bathroom, you know."

"Wha…?" Harry stopped panicking for just moment, long enough to register the statement and look for the speaker. Ginny sat up a little straighter in her chair, tugging at the ends of her baggy t-shirt as she waited for the dark haired teenager to calm down.

"Oh. Ginny. What are you doing here?" Harry couldn't really remember the last time he had spoken to the youngest Weasley child, and didn't have to think hard as to why he had avoided her. Not that he had had much free time of late anyway, but still…

"Ah…well, you see, um…" The red-head stared at the floor, still nervously playing with the hem of her t-shirt as she searched for the right words. Harry made himself comfortable as she did so, propping up some pillows behind him - and, of course, he couldn't help but glance around the wing once more in search of Draco.

"I'm sorry," the girl finally cried, wrenching her eyes up from the ground to look the other teenager in the eye. "I'm sorry I haven't visited of late, I'm sorry I haven't been at all supportive, I'm sorry I didn't believe that you were in love, I'm sorry for calling Draco a death eater, I'm sorry for believing my brother, I'm sorry for being so clingy, I'm sorry (it was around here that Harry unsuccessfully tried to stop her, not being able to decipher her babble) I was so blind and I'm sorry for trying to hurt you both and I'msorryItriedtoruinthingsforyouandDraco."

Ginny finally stopped talking, running out of steam as she breathed deeply to fill her lungs with much need oxygen.

"Um…what?"

Ginny sighed, crossing her legs underneath her as she leaned back in the chair.

"Look, I'm just sorry, okay. I haven't been a good friend of late, and last night…I came by hoping to change your mind about dating Draco and I thought…I can see now that this is real, and that you're both in love. I'm sorry."

Harry didn't say anything, and instead settled for staring at Ginny as though she had gone mad. What the hell was going on?

"I think I speak for the entire world when I say this though," Ginny suddenly said, a wry smile forming on her lips "You and Malfoy…I never saw that one coming."

Harry laughed at this, and was glad to see Ginny smiling too, no longer looking nervous or upset.

"So…you're okay with it? Draco and I, I mean."

Ginny's face fell, and she looked at the floor again.

"Look, I'm not going to deny it, Harry; I like you (Harry blushed bright red at this, even though he had known it all along). However, after last night…I've been an idiot. I had put a love potion in some chocolates, and well…I was so stupid! I saw Draco last night, and…I saw something that changed my mind. I don't deserve you Harry; I don't love you. You deserve someone who can love you, and treat you right. Draco's good for you, I can see that now… so yes, I'm okay with it."

"Thank you, Ginny," Harry smiled brightly, patting her arm gently "that means a lot to me."

"You mean…you're not mad at me?" Ginny looked at him in disbelieve, her eyes widening comically as he shook his head.

"Nope. You never actually got to carry out you plan, did you? And you've apologised – a _lot _– and…Ginny, I love you like a sister, really I do. I couldn't stand it we weren't friends, I really couldn't. I'm so sorry that I don't like you the same way, but I really do love Draco. I do, however, think I know someone who likes you a hell of lot more than you like me."

Ginny blushed, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "Really?"

"Really." Harry replied, grinning, already able to picture little miniature Ginnys' and Nevilles' inside his head "I'm glad you're my sister, Gin'."

DmHp

Hermione smiled a little as the sound of singing birds reached her ears, enjoying the gentle breeze was currently kissing her skin. Not daring to open her eyes for fear that it was merely a dream, she snuggled closer to her source of warmth, giggling quietly as silky hair brushed up against her cheek and she breathed in the distinct smell of strawberries and chocolate.

Slowly, the fogginess that sleep often left behind faded from her mind, and she began to register the fact that she was outside, leaning up against something hard and quite frankly itchy as someone else leant against her, her head gently resting on theirs that lay upon her shoulder.

'_OH SHIT!'_

Hermione opened her eyes, quickly taking in her surroundings and groaning in her head as she confirmed her fears.

They had fallen asleep. Outside.

Looking down at her shoulder, Hermione smiled fondly at the Slytherin girl who was resting against her shoulder, enjoying the sight of the dark haired girl at peace. Such an angel…

Hermione violently shook her head, abruptly cutting off that line of thought before it even started, storing it away in a secluded area of her mind. She did _not _need to be thinking about a good friend in such a manner. She simply wouldn't allow it.

She continued to stare, though, captivated by the simple beauty of the woman she carried such a maddening infatuation for. Hermione simply couldn't understand how the girl had ever acquired the description of 'pug-faced', as such a beauty could only be described as a modern day Eve.

Glancing at her watch, the Gryffindor gave a soft sigh and shook her head, resigning herself to waking the sleeping girl so they would have time to shower and change before their first class. She placed one hand on Pansy's leg and shook it gently, rousing the other teenager to an at least half-awake state before speaking.

"Good morning," she spoke softly, unwilling to disturb the tranquillity of the morning.

"Mmm…G'morning," was the murmured reply, Pansy's velvety voice reassuring the other girl that she wasn't angry about their night sleeping under the stars. The young woman blinked a few times, before sitting up straight and stretching her arms high above her head.

"Sorry for falling asleep like that," she said, her voice just as quiet as Hermione's had been "I didn't even notice my eyes closing."

The Gryffindor shrugged, standing up and grabbing her bag "It's alright," she replied, helping Pansy up too "It's not like I minded."

The two young women simple stood staring at each other for a few moments, before blushing and looking away in unison before beginning the trek back up to the castle.

DmHp

"Morning love," the blonde announced his arrival, drawing the two Gryffindor's attention to the parting in the curtain where he stood.

"Draco!" Harry scrambled out of bed, easily manoeuvring around Ginny's chair before leaping into his boyfriend's arms.

"Don't you dare ever even _think _about letting me wake up alone again! Do you hear me? Never again!" Harry berated the Slytherin, speaking into his shoulder as he clutched at the blonde's nightclothes. "Never again!"

Draco smiled gently, wrapping his arms around Harry in a comforting gesture and rubbing small circles on his lower back.

"I'm sorry love," he replied, kissing his mate's hair "I wasn't thinking straight. Thank you, Weasley, for keeping him calm."

The red head smiled at him, shrugging as she stood up to leave.

"No matter," she replied "he really did freak out though at first. I'll leave you two alone; see you later, Harry." And then she was gone, drawing the curtains closed behind her.

Harry breathed in deeply, not lessening his grip; simply reassuring himself that Draco was still just _there_, holding him, loving him.

"Harry," he heard Draco say, and then felt the blonde kiss what skin he could reach behind his ear "I'm not going to leave you. I love you."

"Love you too," Harry whispered, finally pulling back. "Sorry," he said, suddenly embarrassed "I-…sorry."

Draco smiled adoringly at him, before leaning down to kiss the Gryffindor softly on the lips.

"Mmm," Harry hummed, almost purring in delight "now that's a proper good morning."

Draco chuckled lightly, before reaching a hand around Harry's neck and pulling him close again.

DmHp

"Albus…"

The headmaster looked up from the piece of parchment he was reading, momentarily putting the latest letter from the minister out of his mind when he saw the grave look on the Transfiguration teacher's face.

"Yes, Minerva?"

"I…I thought I had better come to you, I – there's been some, ah, disruptions of late."

"Oh? How so?"

"Do you remember that conversation we had about a week ago; about how you had suspicions that the Slytherin house was being spied on?"

Dumbledore immediately put the letter aside, gesturing for the woman to take a seat in front of his desk.

"Oh, it's simply dreadful, Albus! You wouldn't believe some of the rumours I've been hearing; my very own Gryffindor students discussing who's a death eater and who isn't. Albus, I had to split up three fights today alone; seven Slytherin students in total I've had to send to hospital wing. Of course, I've given the culprits detention for weeks – but Albus, they told me… do you know what one sixth year Gryffindor said in his defence? 'He's a Slytherin, miss; surely you must understand'. I gave him two weeks detention just for that. And do you know Nott, a seventh year Slytherin? He beat up three second years all on his own – all Slytherin students, mind you – and then turned around and told me that they deserved everything they got for being traitors to their house! Albus, this is really getting out of hand!"

The headmaster sighed, pulling off his half moon glasses and rubbing his eyes in a gesture of exhaustion.

"I know, Minerva, I know. Alas, like I told you before, there is nothing we can do until the potion is completed. I don't know what to do."

The Transfiguration teacher wiped a tear away from her eye, partly out of pity for the Slytherin's and partly because she had never seen the headmaster looking so old and weary. There was nothing he could do, and he knew it.

DmHp

Blaise rolled over in his bed, closing his eyes in a vain attempt to drift back off to sleep. He wasn't quite sure what had woken him in the first place, but upon finding out that the sun was only just rising, he had groaned and pulled the hangings around his bed closed again.

An insistent tapping alerted him as to why he had woken, and he curse whatever was making the noise. Angrily grabbing a pillow, he stuffed it over his head, hoping to muffle the sound.

No such luck.

Growling in annoyance, the teenager wrenched back in curtains and swung his legs out of bed, taking a moment to look around the dormitory. Ah. There was an owl tapping at the window.

What the fuck was a bloody bird doing tapping at the window at such an un-fucking-godly hour of the morning?

'_Oh God,'_ was Blaise's next thought _'It'll be from of our parents.' _ By 'our', of course, he meant the parents of anyone in that in dormitory; all of them had death eaters as parents, but only some of the boys hated them for it. Nott, for example, adored his father and aspired to be a death eater just like him, but Blaise despised his mother for what she did, hating that she had lowered herself to such a level. Kissing someone's shoes was not seen as dignified behaviour in _any _circle, pureblood or otherwise. The whole 'murdering muggles' didn't help her cause much either.

Crabbe and Goyle though…he had never been too sure about them, even if they were his best friends. Oh sure, he knew that _they _supported the 'light', but he had never quite understood their relationship with their fathers – and, to be quite honest, he often question the elder Crabbe and Goyle's loyalty the Dark Lord. His friends had never said anything though, so he never asked.

Turning his mind back to the problem at hand, Blaise approached the window with dread, crossing his fingers in the hopes that the owl would _not _be from his mother. It was a rather plain owl – brown all over – but the young man was not fooled by that; none of their parents would use a family owl to send word from the Dark Lord. They weren't _that_ stupid. They did, however, usually write their child's name in confidence, feeling that it was their own fault if they let such an important letter fall into the wrong hands or forgot to burn it after reading.

He unlatched the window and let the bird in, untying the letter from its leg before watching the owl take off towards the owlery for refreshment. Turning the letter over, his heart plummeted at the name on the front.

_Blaise Zabini_.

Blaise groaned, tearing the letter open and pulling out a piece of parchment covered with almost illegible print, obviously written by a clumsy hand in haste. It wasn't signed, but he knew instantly that it was from his mother.

His face drained of colour at the message within.

_The Dark Lord has a task for you…_

DmHp

* * *

A/N; ah, sorry about the cliff-hanger! I'm just happy to have this chapter finished, so I'm ending it here at 8pages in length.

I'm really sorry that I didn't reply to everybody's reviews, but **_Thank you_** very much for all of them!

See you in a week or two!


	22. A moment of rest

A/N; Hello again . I'm am really, really, really sorry that I didn't reply to many reviews, these last weeks have been _so _hectic it's unbelievable, but thank you so, so much, everybody! Your support really is appreciated, and I'm glad so many people are still enjoying this fic – 22 chapters in!

I am actually thinking about bringing this story to a close soon - quite frankly I'm running out of plot ideas fast, and besides, I personally always stop reading stories after reaching about 25 chapters and so I want to end this whilst it's still going strong if you see what I mean. Anyway, let me know your thoughts on that one. Obviously it won't be for another few chapters yet, but it I thought I should let you know that they're probably aren't going to many chaps after this one.

Disclaimer; insert witty comments here

Warning; see 'disclaimer'

"Bleh" Speech

'_Mi!' _ Thoughts

DmHp

Narcissa stared at the flowers in mild shock, her mouth opening and closing comically but emitting no sound in the process. Lucius stood straight and tall, using one hand to hold the flowers out to her and carrying a picnic basket in the other. He looked just as proud and regal as any a Malfoy Lord should, but the light blush that stained his cheeks made it impossible for him to hide his embarrassment.

"Ah – I was hoping you would care to join me for lunch."

Narcissa was still staring at the flowers. A Forget-me-not flower, a recollection of memories and true love; Hyacinths – purple – to beg for forgiveness; Primroses to imply a deep need, longing; and a Rose – red – to symbolise love.

"You remembered," she said softly, a smile curling her lips upwards as she gracefully accepted the flowers. Lucius' flush deepened as he nodded once. How could he have forgotten? Narcissa had spent many hours both before and during their marriage arranging the many flowers in the manor, and could never resist buying more when passing a store that sold them – many a time Lucius had had to turn a blind eye when he found receipts in her pockets, in draws and other such places (she had once used one as a book-mark, to his amusement, though he never told her he had found it) from muggle flower stores. His wife had also partook in gardening as a pass-time, and, in the early days of their marriage, would often quote the strangest things about her beloved flowers, including the meanings of the most popular.

Muggle flowers had always been, and would always remain to be, a particular love of hers.

The blonde woman blinked rapidly a few times, willing the tears in her eyes to disappear, before conjuring a vase of water for the flowers. After stepping back into her room to place the flowers on the coffee table, Narcissa took hold of her husbands arm and let him guide her through the halls of Hogwarts.

DmHp

"Oh my, well, don't you two just look so sweet!"

Harry pulled his head from Draco's chest where it was resting to watch Madam Promfey as she lit more candles in their little ward, placing the tray of food on the spare bed for a moment as she worked.

"Now then," the nurse said, turning to face the boys "I've just about had enough of you two occupying my ward and irritating me with the endless straggle of visitors, so I won't have you in here much longer!"

Draco let out a small "Yes!" of happiness, allowing his mate to pull him into an upright position. Promfey smiled kindly at the two of them, shaking her head fondly as they positioned themselves so that Harry was comfortably leaning against Draco, the veela's arm around his waist. She pulled out her wand to perform a few quick spells on the two (pointedly ignoring the soft, possessive growl that the Slytherin gave) and then nodded happily before placing the tray on their laps.

"Here's your lunch then, boys. Eat it _all, _otherwise I won't even think about letting you out of here any time soon (the smile fell from Draco's face at the thought). Oh, and Mr. Potter, the headmaster will want to see you later. Something about – well, actually, I'm sure you know precisely what it's about."

And with that she left, taking Harry's appetite with her.

"Great. Just great," he mumbled, grabbing Draco's hand as a source of comfort. The blonde smiled gently at him, rubbing circles with his thumb over the back of the Gryffindor's hand.

"You knew it was going to happen sooner or later, love," he said, kissing Harry's dark black hair "do you want me to be there with you?"

Harry didn't even hesitate before nodded hastily.

"I'm not going if you don't come!" He cried, becoming agitated just thinking about it "no way, nuh uh, I'll scream, I'll bloody kick the walls in and -…"

Draco chuckled, pulling his mate closer. "Don't worry then, I'll be there, love."

Harry hummed lightly, tilting his head back to capture the blonde's lips for a kiss. "I love hearing you call me that."

"What?"

"The 'l' word. Say it again."

"I'll do one better; I love you, Harry."

Harry grinned widely, turning around fully so as to have better access to the young man he thoroughly intended to ravish.

"I love you too," he replied, before Draco initiated the kiss, not even waiting before slipping his tongue into the Gryffindor's mouth.

"Oh, honestly, not again!"

"Don't you two ever stop for air?"

"Anyone would think you're attached at the lips…"

"- though that could be arranged, if you insist!"

Draco groaned, pulling back and throwing a glare at the Weasley twins.

"Don't you have someone else to annoy?"

"Oh, don't worry," George began.

"We're not stopping for long, it's just - …"

"- we wanted to deliver this to you ourselves."

Fred – or maybe George, Draco was already confused – held out a golden envelope, winking as he did so.

"Everybody in the school is going to get one, of course -…"

"-so we're going to perform the charm now," the other – presumably George – finished, holding up a bag full of thousands of the cards, only in a much smaller form.

Harry took the envelope from him, turning it over cautiously, inspecting it for a Weasley trade-mark prank. The twins laughed at him, one of them shaking their heads.

"Don't worry,"

"we haven't done anything…"

"- to yours, at least. I can't quite remember about the others," they said innocently "and it certainly isn't out fault if perhaps we left them somewhere and they got jinxed whilst our backs were turned."

The two other teenagers laughed a little, but the two brothers were already leaving.

"Sorry to have to leave so quickly," one of them called of their shoulder "but we have a lot of work today."

"See you tonight!" the other called, and then the door shut behind them.

"Um…okay…" Harry breathed, drawing out the last syllable in confusion. Draco merely raised his eyebrows at the door, before shaking his head and grabbing a sandwich off the tray which had been pushed to the end of the bed.

"Are you going to open it or not?" He asked, poking the Gryffindor as he did so. Harry giggled a little, loathing his curse of being ticklish, then tore open the envelope.

"Hello!" Harry dropped the envelope in shock, ignoring Draco's chuckle in favour of gaping at the red and gold card he had pulled out of the envelope that was currently folding itself into the shape of a lion, still talking.

"We're happy to proud to present you with the once in a life time opportunity to attend Hogwart's very first dinner to be accompanied by live entertainment! All you need to do is show up – leave the rest to us! Tonight at seven – be there, or be pranked!

'With best grins, the Weasley twins."

The lion paused for a moment, hanging in mid-air as though thinking.

"P.S," it suddenly continued "we may have taken the liberty of adding a few secrecy spells to these invitations, just so that you can't talk about them to anyone else; it's a great honour to be invited, after all, and we wouldn't want anyone to feel left out. We also feel the need to warn you to take a step back, because it's about to get messy. See you at seven."

Harry and Draco shared a horrified look, before jumping out of bed as the lion-shaped invitation began to shake. Taking his mate's hand, Draco pulled Harry to one corner of their wing.

The lion began to emit a high pitched wail, steam pouring off it as it began to vibrate viciously, causing Harry to screw his face in worry, covering his ears as the wail got louder and louder until finally –

- 'pop'.

It was gone.

Harry slowly lowered his hands, staring at the now empty patch of air where the lion had once hung. Was that it?

Draco began to chuckle behind him, covering his mouth with a hand to try and hide the fact that he had found it funny. His mate turned around to face him, giving him a weird look as his mouth hung open in shock.

Draco only laughed harder.

DmHp

"Hey Pansy!"

Pansy stopped, turning to face Crabbe and Goyle with a curious expression on her face.

"Yeah?"

"We haven't seen you around as much as usual lately. How are you?" The shorter one asked, taking position on one side of her whilst the other walked on her right.

"Fine, as usual," she replied, smiling a little as the trio continued to the great hall for lunch.

"So," she said after a moment or two "what do you really want?"

Goyle laughed, shaking his head. "You've been spending too much time around Gryffindor's Pansy, you're losing your slyness."

The girl in question shrugged a little, smiling slightly at the boys on either side of her.

"No, I just can't be bothered to play games today. I'm meeting Hermione after lunch during free period- what?"

Crabbe and Goyle shared a knowing look over the top of her head, smirking.

"Oh, never mind then," was the only reply she got "we'll just be on our way. Have fun."

The two boys suddenly turned around, returning the way they came, their steps in unison.

Pansy stopped, turning to watch them leave in confusion.

"Oh, by the way," Crabbe suddenly said, looking over his shoulder "we do wish you'd just hurry up and tell her already!"

The two were out of sight, leaving the statement hanging in the air as Pansy stood in the middle of the empty hallway, a neat blush staining her usually pale cheeks.

DmHp

"Oh, please let us go, Poppy!" Harry cried, using the nurse's last name in an attempt to appeal to her more good-natured side. It wasn't working.

"No, absolutely not. I need you two here where I can keep an eye on you – too much stress and excitement is exactly what you _don't _need!" the woman replied, plumping up the pillows on the bed the two teenagers had previously been laying in.

"But it'll only be a couple of hours," Draco put in, seeing the put-out look on his mate's face "and surely you've been invited as well? If you're there, then you can keep an eye on us whilst we all enjoy the entertainment!"

Harry grinned at the veela, watching as Madam Promfey tried to hide her smile.

"Oh all right then," she finally gave in, motioning for the boys to climb back into bed "but I don't want to hear another word out of the two of you until tonight. And you are to come straight back here afterwards – no dawdling!"

"Yes!" The Gryffindor cried out happily, content to jump back into bed with Draco "Thanks Poppy!"

The nurse rolled her eyes, leaving the ward whilst muttering about the irresponsibility of 'the youth of today'. Harry giggled a little as he caught some of her mutterings, before placing a kiss on the blonde's cheek.

"Thanks love!"

Draco raised his eyebrows, running a hand through Harry's hair.

"I don't know what you're thanking me for," he replied, smirking "I only did it for the reward."

Harry grinned, turning around to straddle the blonde's legs.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

DmHp

A/N; ah, bugger, this chapter is really short! I am sorry, it's just that things are difficult at home, so updates are going to be _very_ sporadic for a little while. You see, my dad's been diagnosed with lung cancer, and with that on top of all his other illnesses…things are a little rough, that's all, so please bear with me on this!

Reviews are appreciated, and I'll start work on the next chapter right away! Don't forget to let me know what you think about ending this soon! Cya all next time!


	23. AN I need a break

A/N

I would like to say to everyone that I am really sorry that this isn't a chapter, but an authors note, only I'm not sorry. This needs to be written. Forgive me.

My Dad died yesterday, on the 9th March.

Needless to say, I'm not up to writing anything at the moment, and so probably won't be posting another chapter for a few weeks. I _am _sorry for this, and I hope that you will stick by me whilst I sort my life out. I sincerely hope that you will continue reading this after the break, and that you won't hold a grudge. I just can't cope with this right now.

My dad's been sick for a very long time, and I knew this was coming, so please don't feel too sorry for me. It was rather sudden, even if it was expected, and I'm still at the stage of knowing but not excepting. I'm not ready to face anything, and my family is, and will always remain to be, my first priority. Please remember that I am still just a teenager, and so cannot cope with added responsibilities.

Thank you so much for all the support from my reviewers. The last chapter brought with it some really nice reviews, which made me smile during this difficult time. Thank you, I appreciate it very, very much.

Gothical-Fairy.

P.S, I know, I know, this isn't technically allowed, and so I _do _except the consequences of posting this Author's Note. I'm still not sorry for it.


	24. Butterbeer

A/N; Well, hello again. Um, if you're reading this it means you've returned to this now revived fic even after a year of no updates, and for that I am sincerely grateful. I would like to thank you all for being so patient whilst I got my life back on track, and I also would like to extend my thanks for all your kind reviews; I would have replied to them, had they not been so great in number. When I first received them, I was obviously in no state to reply, and as the months went by I really was overwhelmed by your kindness, and knew not what to say in return. So _thank you. _Really. 

Anyway, I'm back! XD. You may have noticed that I've done some editing over the last year, and have also posted a few lil' ficlets; however, I am honestly out of practice at this whole writing thing, so please forgive me for any silly plot mistakes (it's been a year!) or other things like grammar - or just plain terrible writing, lol. 

A special shout out to **Immortal Sailor Cosmos, **as it was her review that motivated me into writing something! Unfortunately, I had been losing hope of ever coming back to this fic (every time I sat down to write, the words simply escaped me) and so her encouragement came at just the right time. But, really, thank you to everyone who reviewed, and everyone who returned. 

Disclaimer; whoa, it's been such a long time since I've had to write one of these! However, I give you my word that if I _did _own Harry Potter or any of the characters, I really wouldn't have returned to this fic. 

Warnings; Um…what am I supposed to write here again?

"I'm back!" 

'_I've updated!'_

DmHp

"Hermione! Hermione, over here! No, over _here!_" 

The bushy haired Gryffindor spun her head from side to side, scanning the vast array of tables to locate the familiar female voice calling her name. Noticing an arm waving madly from side to side at the front of the hall, she carefully made her way over to the Slytherin girl, dodging the milling students that had congregated in the hall. 

"Finally! I was beginning to wonder if the twins had even invited you," Pansy stated, rising from her seat to greet her friend. Pulling Hermione into a brief hug, the Slytherin flipped off the three males who were chuckling from their places around the circular table. 

"All right, 'Mione?" Blaise offered as the two parted, shaking his head in amusement as the girl in question flushed under such scrutiny. Sitting down in an empty wooden chair beside Pansy, Hermione managed only to nod at him, adding one for Crabbe and Goyle too. 

"As if the twins would've dared to leave me out of this," she finally managed, leaning back into a comfortable position and surveying the room "although, it was still such a shock to receive such a note. And what have they done to this place?" 

The Gryffindor had a right to be rather miffed at the new layout. The twins (presumably, as Hermione doubted it was the teachers who had arranged this) had done away with the four house tables, instead scattering loads of glossy, wooden tables about the hall, surrounding each by a varying number of chairs. Whilst most were circular, some were rectangular; some were designed to seat two people, others four, and others eight, though it appeared some of the elder students had pushed a couple of tables together to make space for large groups of friends. 

The Teachers' table had disappeared as well, though in it's place was what appeared to be a catwalk; a stage had been built where the teachers normally sat, the Gryffindor-red curtains currently closed, and from the middle of it protruded a much thinner length of stage that extended in length past the double doors of the entrance. The tables had been set up around the cat walk as well as in front of it, and so Hermione was currently sat facing the catwalk on the right side of the hall, sat around a table that was relatively close to the front. 

"It looks fun, doesn't it?" Pansy commented, leaning closer to the other young woman in pretence of being heard better. It appeared that everyone in fourth year upwards was in attendance tonight, and the hall, with this new seating plan, was rather crowded; though, filled as the air was with the curious speculations of their peers, Hermione would probably have heard her just fine. 

"Looks bloody hilarious!" Crabbe replied, snickering at his friend's light flirting. Pansy glared at him for the comment, which she knew had been directed at her specifically, and moved back to her original position. Hermione merely blinked, slightly bewildered at the exchange. 

"Well," she started after a brief lull in the conversation "has anyone seen Harry or Draco yet?" 

Pansy shook her head, a small smile lingering on her lips. 

"Oh, don't worry about them; no doubt Draco is merely fussing over what to wear for such a memorable occasion."

DmHp

"_Please _love?" 

Harry turned his back on his blonde mate, shaking his head in a firm refusal of his request. 

"_Please_? I'll love you for ever and ever?"

The Gryffindor snorted, running a hand through his unruly locks in frustration at the Veela's persistence. 

"You'll love me forever anyway." 

Draco couldn't very well deny it, for fear of upsetting both his love and the veela inside him, but what he could do was increase the pout that currently resided on his lips. And so he did, adding in the Malfoy patented puppy eyes for a little extra influence. 

Harry growled lightly, _knowing _the blonde was pouting at his back, but refused to budge on this decision. 

"_No _Draco!" 

"But _Harry!_" Draco pleaded, tugging at the baggy blue jumper his mate and carelessly thrown on "these were delivered just last week, and I haven't even seen you try them on yet! And we did spend all that money on them, and Mother spent so much time and effort trying to find something suitable…"

The blonde trailed off, a small grin tugging on his lips as he noticed the slight tension in Harry's shoulders. He was about to crack.

"And Mother would simply _love _to see in them; I mean, it would show her how much you appreciate the gesture -" 

"Oh all right!" Harry snapped, turning around to face his grinning boyfriend "but I still refuse to wear the studded leather trousers!"

DmHp

"I do wish they would hurry up," Hermione murmured, glancing at her watch "the twins will probably close the doors at seven."

"Oh, don't worry about them," Blaise reassured her, pouring himself a glass of butterbeer from the pitcher sat in the middle of the table "I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"You don't think Madam Pomfrey will have forbade them to come do you?" The girl questioned, returning Ginny's wave from another table despite her anxiety. 

"As if that would stop them!" Goyle replied, rolling his eyes. 

"Besides," Pansy said, laying a gentle hand on Hermione's arm "the teachers are all sat over there - look."

Hermione turned her gaze to the opposite side of the catwalk, to the table the Slytherin girl was pointing at. Sure enough, the teachers were occupying several tables close to the stage, all drinking and smiling merrily. She was slightly shocked they were allowing such an event to take place, but she supposed there were there to make sure things didn't get out of hand. 

The teachers, happily downing their glasses of a liquid that looked suspiciously darker than butterbeer, seemed to disagree. 

"Oh, look! Here they come now!" 

Hermione snapped her head in the direction of the front doors at Blaise's remark, grinning at the stunned hush that had fallen over the students at the sight of the couple. 

Harry and Draco either didn't notice or didn't care, striding purposefully towards their friends, Draco's arm wrapped firmly around his mate's waste and scowling at any who's unwanted gaze lingered a little too long. The message was all too clear, Hermione realised; he's mine. Back off. 

The smiling Gryffindor didn't really seem to mind this arrangement, though his posture spoke of his embarrassment at the situation. Really, Hermione thought, he had nothing to be embarrassed about, judging by the uncharacteristically skin-hugging that clung to his skin. 

DmHp

Despite his continuing objections to Draco's choice of clothing, Harry had still ended up dressing in one of the tighter outfits Narcissa had picked out for him all those weeks ago. The dark purple, three quarter length sleeved shirt was much tighter than the one that had been made to be worn with the leather trousers (which Harry had decisively drawn the line at), but suited his muscular frame well, and went well with the sleek black hipster jeans Draco had coerced him into wearing. In retaliation for Draco's dress up session, Harry had teasing undone the top three buttons of his shirt, knowing that even the slightest amount of bare skin would drive his mate wild with the desire to caress him. 

Not that the blonde hadn't been drooling all over him anyway; and Harry couldn't exactly testify that his thoughts were all that innocent upon seeing Draco dressed in smart black trousers and a dark blue satin shirt, a darker shade of blue having been chosen for the cloak he had casually draped around his shoulders. His blonde locks had been left alone that night, allowed to frame his face with an angelic grace that Harry doubted his own hair could ever posses, and a gold and silver clasp in the shape of two entwined hearts held his cloak closed around his collar (the colours red and green clashed _so _badly, Draco had explained to a teary eyed Gryffindor upon questioning; and no, he was absolutely_ not _a closet romantic). 

He looked _perfect_. 

And apparently the rest of Hogwarts agreed with him, if the lust that seemed to override the shock on their faces was anything to judge by. He hadn't expected the sudden surge of jealousy that flowed through him as he realised this, but the possessive tightening of the arm around his waste told him that the blonde thought the students were looking at _him_. 

Harry couldn't help but giggle, suddenly grinning wider and feeling much better; Draco was stupid to think that their attention was focused on such a weedy little thing like himself when he was walking next to the epitome of perfection, but it was still nice of him to think as such. 

Spotting Hermione and Pansy waving at them through the crowd, Harry nudged Draco in their direction, not even casting a second glance at the bizarre dining arrangements; it was just like the twins to do something so extravagant, and they _had _warned that there would be entertainment. 

"Harry!" Hermione cried happily, jumping up and engulfing her friend in a hug "it's so nice to see you up and about!" 

Giggling a little at the Veela's soft growl, Hermione let go and instead wrapped her arms around the now bewildered Slytherin. 

"And you!" She exclaimed, still grinning "it's nice to see you looking so well!" 

"Um…hello?" 

Hermione drew back laughing, moving back into her seat and sharing an amused smile with Pansy. 

"Hello 'Mione. Hey guys," Harry gave a little wave to the other occupants of the table, smiling softly as Draco pulled out a chair for him to sit it. The other males around the table snickered at the 'soft' action, but Draco merely stuck his nose haughtily into the air and, with his own amused smile, sat beside his mate. 

"Hello all." He greeted them, receiving a collection of 'hellos' from the others as the students chatter bubbled up around them. 

"How are you both?" Hermione questioned, watching Harry pass the Veela a thankful smile as he poured them both a glass of butterbeer. 

"Not bad," Harry replied, gracefully excepting the drink "although this outfit is bloody uncomfortable!"

Their friends laughed as Draco huffed, apparently enraged by his mate's lack of appreciation for his fashion knowledge. 

"Well, I think you look lovely," Hermione told him, glad to see Draco barely even blinked at the comment; he was getting better. 

"Thanks 'Mione," Harry replied quietly, embarrassed, though Draco was selfishly pleased that his cheeks didn't flush the way they would when the Slytherin complimented him. 

"So, did the Weasley twins divulge any information to you guys?" Blaise asked, already pouring himself a second glass from the jug that they could now tell was enchanted to refill itself. 

"No, they didn't say much at all," Draco replied, casually draping his arm around the back of Harry's chair "they just sort of came bounding in, handed over the invitation, dropped a few hints about hexes and the like, then bounded out again." 

Crabbe grinned at him, rolling his eyes "we were rather surprised at their energy too. Bloody insane, those two."

The topic of the Weasley twins had brought up unwarranted thoughts about their younger brother, and so Harry dutifully scanned the now seated mass of students to see if he could pick out his friend's fiery red hair. He spotted Ginny sitting beside Neville at a table with a few other Gryffindors, and sent her an encouraging smile and a thumbs up. She smiled back, rolling her eyes at the Gryffindor boy beside her who was clumsily fumbling with the pitcher to poor her a glass, a blush invading his cheeks. Harry couldn't help but laugh a little at his friend's expense, but Ginny seemed to think Neville's actions were rather sweet anyway, so it was all good. 

Harry didn't have time to keep looking for Ron, however, as the doors suddenly slammed shut, shocking the majority of the students into silence as the lights dimmed around them. Harry looked up, intrigued to see that the ceiling had been charmed to show a clear night, the stars twinkling almost mischievously, as though they had been let it on the Twin's cunning plan. 

Harry rather liked to think they had, considering they had had the honour of watching the two pranksters set it all up. Lucky buggers. 

DmHp

"Well brother," Fred commented, clapping his twin on the back "I do believe it's time to start. You ready?" 

George merely grinned at him, flicking his wand to dim the candles in the hall. The brother's walked out onto the stage, their steps matching each other's perfectly, and stopped where the curtains would part in just a few moments. 

Fred reached out and adjusted his brother's top hat, letting George smooth his the collar of his starched white shirt for him. They shared a quick grin of delight, before turning to face the audience and using their wands to draw back the curtains. 

DmHp

A/N; grins sorry for the cliffhanger! I'm just so happy to have got this far that I want to post this chapter before I lose my nerve (it's been so long!). Don't worry though, because I honestly have already started the next chapter (I'm so excited!) so hopefully it'll be finished and posted soon. 

Reviews are definitely appreciated; I hope I haven't completely lost the knack for this. 


	25. Panic, brother, panic

A/N; XD I can't even begin to express my gratitude this time around. It turns out people have returned to this fic (as you will know, if you're reading this now), and for that I really am thankful, and overjoyed too! So thankyou for all the reviews and kind words of encouragement; I no longer have any plans of simply abandoning this fic, and for that I have you guys to thank.

So thanks. XD

Disclaimer; apparently this is where I'm supposed to claim that none of this mine etc etc etc, but really I don't see the point. I mean, the plot is technically mine, and no one could sue me even if they really wanted to (do you really think I have that kind of money?). And if anyone actually thinks that I could possibly own the rights to the book or characters, they really don't belong in this fandom.

Warnings; um…swearing? Yaoi, obviously, though it's more shonen-ai at the moment (no lemon…yet XD). Um…well, you'll get the idea as you read.

_**Note; **_It was brought to my attention, thankfully, that the last chapter needs a bit of editing, and to be honest this one probably does too. I will get round to it at some point, but not just at the moment; just to keep you in the loop._**Also**_; I am aware that there are several lose ends which need to be tied up, originating in the first few chapters of the fic; don't worry, I do actually have a vague sort of plan, and will be sorting it all out in due course. I hope.

Enjoy!

DmHp

_Fred reached out and adjusted his brother__s top hat, letting George smooth the collar of his starched white shirt for him. They shared a quick grin of delight, before turning to face the audience and using their wands to draw back the curtains. _

DmHp

A gentle rhythm began to play as the curtains were pulled open, the stage shrouded in darkness in spite of this fact. The students watched, enthralled, as the two unmoving figures stood posing in the centre of the stage, back to back. One twin - for there were no doubts as to who the two were - had his right leg bent and a cane held out at arms length in his left hand, his right arm bent at the elbow and lightly gripping the top hat that rested upon his head; his brother mirrored the position using opposite limbs.

The light-hearted piano tune (which could perhaps be likened to the type of track an entertainer would speak over in the 20th century, think the track 'Roxie' in Chicago, if you've seen it) stayed at a steady volume as the students chatter finally dwindled out, those facing away from the stage turning around in their chairs to get a better view of the action.

A spotlight fell over the twins, allowing the audience to see their rather old-fashioned muggle attire; each twin wore a starched white shirt, with a black dinner jacket and smart black trousers, a white bow tie around their necks and a black velvet top hat positioned at an angle on their heads. Each one held a sleek black cane with a rouge top, and their smart black shoes had been buffed for the occasion.

Harry shared an amused smile with his mate, gripping his hand lightly under the table in anticipation; he couldn't be sure what to expect, but he knew it was going to be unforgettably fantastic.

DmHp

Fred couldn't help but grin at the tension filled silence that had descended upon the hall, and could feel the slight shake of his brother's shoulders that told him he too was struggling to contain his amusement.

The minor chord that acted as their cue sounded, and Fred began to tap his foot in time to the music, the metal plate attached to the balls of his feet creating a rap upon the polished wood that had been charmed to amplify the sound of their steps.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, - pause - tap, tap, tap, tap - pause -_ _tap. _

The rhythm was repeated four times before the twins moved in unison, tilting their faces towards the audience and tipping their hats to the watching students with a saucy wink that elicited the delighted gaps they had hoped for as light mutters began to spread through the students.

Fred stepped away first, doing a little spin before walking forward, tapping his cane to the beat as he went. George followed him, mimicking the spin and swagger, his own cane tapping in unison with his brothers. The metal clinks resounded about the hall, and their smiles were now unmistakable, their joy at being able to perform evident in every perfectly executed move.

Climbing down the single step that separated the main stage from the cat walk, Fred did a supposedly complicated side-step spin, effectively switching places with his brother who had just stepped down, now on the left side of the stage. The brothers walked in unison until they were about half way down the catwalk, their canes still clicking away beside them, before coming to a standstill with both hands holding the cane out in front of them, tilted forwards, legs slightly apart.

It wasn't hard to keep their moves in time, and so the twins were able to raise their right arms and remove their top hats, rolling them down their arms without too much difficulty, allowing them to rest over their canes, which, when they removed their other hands, stayed upright.

A light scatter of applause broke out, though people seemed to be skeptical as to the nature of this 'entertainment'. The twins smiled reassuringly, their un-kept hair now falling free around their faces, and moved to stand in front of their canes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Fred began, the volume his voice magically enhanced so that everyone could hear him, his hands articulating his words with carefully measured but apparently clumsy moves.

"Wizards and Witches," George said, his hands copying the actions his brothers had made just seconds before.

"Students and Teachers,"

"Humans and, eh…" George trailed off, allowing his gaze to fall on the teachers. He appeared to be in deep thought for a few moments, before shrugging and offering them a grin.

"Well," he said, ignoring McGonagall's raised eyebrows "we'll just leave it at that."

There were a few snickers from the students, and Dumbledore chuckled gamely, the twinkle evident in his eyes even at a distance.

"We welcome all of you here today - Ghosts, Elves, Werewolves, Vampires, Purebloods, Half-bloods, Muggle-borns, Veelas, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins - and anyone else who happens to enjoy an evenings entertainment!"

George smiled indulgently at his brother, as though he thought him rather stupid.

"What he means to say is - hello."

Fred grinned at him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder exactly the way they had planned.

"That's the word I was looking for!" He cried, snapping his fingers "knew I could count on you bro."

George rolled his eyes, grinning at the chuckling audience, and shrugged off the arm.

"It's nice to see you all turned up - we would have hated to have to get up early in the morning just to poison your food."

"Although," Fred picked the speech up "it is a pity that we'll now have to find new volunteers for our latest inventions." He smirked at his brother, who shared in his glee for a few moments before turning back to their audience.

"However, we know you must all be rather curious as to why you have been invited here."

"And we won't keep you in the dark for _too _much longer, honest."

"Well, actually," George stated, nudging his brother and lowering his voice as though he was trying to share in a secret "you know that's not strictly true? I mean, it'd ruin all the fun if we actually told them…"

Fred pretended to think for a few moments, sending a wink to a few giggling girls nearby before clapping his brother on the back, sending him lurching forwards as though put off balance.

"No worries, bro! They don't need to know that!"

Light sniggering greeted the statement, and George let the students see him rolling his eyes in his brother's direction, irritated with his actions.

"Well then, as you know, tonight we aim to provide a little bit of entertainment with your meal,"

"And don't you pity the poor sods who were too young to be invited?" Fred snickered, grinning madly.

"We haven't let them starve though!" George cried, waving his arms around widely to prove his point "even we aren't that cruel!"

Fred snorted, but shut up at the look his twin sent him, and instead sent a cocky grin towards the audience.

"Before the entertainment can really begin however, we figure you'd like some food, so -"

The twins snapped their fingers once, in unison, and at once tiered plates appeared on the tables, the trays stacked on top of each other in a tower. With plates and cutlery already set out, the students blinked slowly, squinting at the food in disbelief.

Harry eyed the steaming plates cautiously, wondering if _they _- the students - were about to become the entertainment.

The twins laughed at their suspicious faces, leaning on each other for support.

"Ah, my dear brother, it appears we're not trusted by the vast majority of the students here!"

"Well," George replied, turning to walk back up stage "we've never really given them any reason to."

Fred followed him, and together they flipped their hats back onto their heads and began tapping their canes once more upon the wooden stage beneath their feet. In the same manner as their arrival, Fred gave a fancy spin, walking in front of his brother with a confident bounce in his step. The two continued their light banter as they walked, not once looking back to the audience.

"I suppose it's a shame, really," Fred commented in an offhand sort of way.

"Yes," his brother agreed "we wouldn't want them to starve, after all."

"But it is their choice."

"And we can't _force _them to eat."

The twins reached centre stage as the statement reached the ears of their audience, and together they turned to look over their shoulders with a cheeky grin that spoke of anything but innocence or honesty. Fred and George then turned to look at each other, their grins almost cracking their freckled faces, and, with one last wink towards a specific table near the front, the twins disappeared, a cloud of blood red smoke billowing out around them and veiling the stage in a misty red glow.

There was a stunned silence for several moments, but it didn't last long; the chatter started quietly at first, mere whispers coupled with confused and amused looks passed between friends, but the whispers grew louder and louder until every student was sharing his or her point of view. The music had stopped at the same time of the twin's disappearance, but it probably wouldn't have been heard over the conversation and the clink of cutlery anyway.

"Well…" Draco started, turning back around in his chair to face his friends "that was, um…"

"Weird? Yeah, I got that feeling too." Harry grinned at him, before bravely reaching out and pulling a leg of chicken off of one of the trays.

"Don't touch that!" Draco cried, pulling it out of his grasp before he could bring it to his lips "they might have poisoned it."

Harry rolled his eyes, laying his hand on Draco's thigh in a reassuring sort of matter.

"Don't be stupid. They won't do anything to harm us. I think."

The other's chuckled nervously, but the blonde only glared at them.

"Blaise!" He snapped, causing the darker haired boy to wince a little "I think you may have the honour of trying the first piece."

"What?" The Slytherin cried, clearly not amused by the suggestion "how is that fair?"

"I don't think it's dangerous," Hermione said, scanning the hall for any signs that something was amiss; many of the students had braved the food by this point, however, and still had all four limbs in the right places, and had failed to sprout any tentacles or feathers; the food, it seemed, was safe.

"See?" Harry asked, snatching the drumstick back and taking a bite of it before his boyfriend could protest further. He chewed on it slowly, the others leaning forwards in their chairs as they waited for something to happen…

But it never did. Harry grinned at them, and took another bite, before reaching out to fill up his plate with more food.

The other's tentatively began to follow suit, still on the look out for any traps the twins might have set up, but they were soon munching away quite happily when the males at the table failed to grow a pair of breasts. That was good enough for them.

DmHp

"Well, my dear brother," Fred began, the amplifying charm now removed, "I do believe that went quite well."

"Oh yes," George agreed with him "quite well indeed."

They shared a grin, walking over to the other members of the Malfoy family who had requested to sit in the wings; they couldn't very well join the students, after all, and yet they hadn't wished to miss the show.

"We trust you are enjoying your meal?" Fred asked, giving a mock bow as he reached them. Tracy gave a little giggle, and even Lucius managed to give them a small smile.

"May I enquire as to the nature of the nights festivities?"

Fred and George exchanged a look, identical smirks pulling at their lips.

"You may," George replied.

"But we probably won't be inclined to answer you."

DmHp

"I can't bear this," Hermione muttered, tearing viciously at her steak "I can't stand _waiting!_"

Harry shared an amused smirk with his boyfriend, knowing it was killing the head girl to not know what the two pranksters were going to do.

"Don't worry, 'Mione," Pansy comforted her, briefly laying her hand on top of her friend's "I'm pretty sure they're not going to do anything to _us_."

Blaise couldn't help but snort in disbelief, quickly covering it up with a coughing fit. Crabbe gleefully pounded him on the back, but was only rewarded with a glare for his efforts.

"They wouldn't dare do anything to the head girl," Harry said, playfully smacking Draco's arm as the blonde snickered beside him. The Slytherin pouted at him, and raised an eyebrow when his mate stuck out his tongue.

"Oh, now you're just asking for it."

Harry grinned at him, leaning closer to allow the Veela to kiss him, but was interrupted by Blaise indiscreetly clearing his throat.

"I'm alright with the two of you, honestly," he stated, a wry smile on his lips "but I really don't want to watch suck each other's faces off right in front of me."

Draco restrained himself from growling at being denied contact with his mate, settling for laying a hand upon his love's thigh instead. Harry blushed scarlet, thrilling the Veela beside him, but didn't remove it.

"You're just jealous that I'm sitting next to perfection himself, whilst you've been banished to the opposite side of the table. You should be grateful you are even allowed to gaze upon such an angel!"

The remark, oddly enough, came not from the Veela, but from Harry himself, but the flush that rose to Draco's cheeks was a much more memorable event.

"Awwe," Hermione cooed, though the others were sniggering at Draco's lingering blush and the adoring gaze that he had set upon the Gryffindor, "that's so sweet!"

"It's not sweet," Harry replied, kissing the blonde Slytherin on the cheek "it's the truth."

Draco's hand squeezed the thigh it held, a subtle hint of a later reward.

"Whatever," Blaise said, rolling his eyes "I'll just sit here and bask in his ethereal presence shall I?"

Harry nodded his consent, sticking his nose up a little.

"You do that. Maybe some of his brilliance will finally rub off on you."

"Well," Pansy managed to say through her giggles "we can only hope."

DmHp

It wasn't really black, he supposed, blinking a few times just to make sure he had actually opened his eyes. He blinked one more, just for luck, then tried looking around.

The shade he had mistaken for darkness now, upon closer inspection, seemed to be caused something blocking most of the light. Random streams of it broke through the – material? –, but only enough to enlighten him to the fact that the material was actually brown.

It was not really in the nature of a Weasley to panic in the face of danger; usually they were so angry that they were already charging into the fray before they had even registered their fear. It was therefore Ron's first instinct to simply run away (for he really couldn't see what it was he was supposed to be fighting, and he wasn't quite _that_ brave – or stupid), but he found it impossible to carry out said impulse due the bondage binding his feet together.

The red head gasped in shock as he felt the cause material of a sack scratch against his neck, and decided that panicking was probably a very good idea when he felt the sharp pain in his knees from where he was kneeling on the floor. It didn't feel sharp or cold enough to be cobbles or stone, but the fact that he probably wasn't within the castle walls wasn't really a comforting thought.

Ron tried to pull off the sack, but belatedly realised his hands had been bound too, strapped together tightly with a rope that was spongy to the touch. He briefly let himself ponder the curious compassion this might implicate, before moving onto the more pressing matter of being bound and practically blinded by an unknown assailant, and being held hostage in an unknown location.

This, he decided, was definitely a _very _good time to panic.

A scream then perhaps, to alert anyone nearby to his presence? He opened his mouth slightly, taking a deep breath before curling into himself as he choked on the cloth stuffed into his mouth. He retched for a few moments as he uselessly tried to dislodge the cloth, finally managing to spit it out with a strangled cough.

Not good, not good, not good not good not good notgoodnotgoodnotgoodnotgoodnotgood and what the hell was –

Why could he feel a draft on his legs?

Ron shuffled his legs along the ground experimentally, not managing to stifle a cry as he realised his legs were indeed bare – though he was sure he was kneeling on _something_, no matter how thin the cloth was, and there was something covering his thighs...

'_Really, it would probably be a good idea to just __**breathe**_, Ron told himself, trying to remember what Hermione would say in such a situation.

'_Well,'_ Ron thought bitterly '_what the __**old**__ Hermione would say.' _

It was at this point, as the Gryffindor took a few deep, supposedly calming breaths, that Ron became aware of the vaguely muffled chatter he could hear. Slowly turning his head in what he thought was the right direction, he leaned forward a little to see what he could make out. Actually, there was_ a lot _of chatter. Sort of like – sort of like how it sounded in the Great Hall during meals.

It was just as this thought occurred that he heard footsteps coming towards him, the melodious tapping an indication of the hard wood flooring the feet were walking on.

Feet. Plural.

DmHp

"Come on, brother dearest,"

"Your audience awaits."

The twins shared an excited grin as they neared the knelt form of their younger brother, each one grasping him under one arm and hauling him to his feet. Ron let out a strangled cry as he stumbled forward, eliciting sniggers from the devious pranksters.

"Here, let me get that for you," Fred swished his wand a few times, causing the bonds to fall away, and tightened his grip as the redhead began to struggle.

"What the hell? Who are you? What do you want? I'm armed!"

George rolled his eyes, dodging a well aimed kick before whipping away the sack, Ron's scarlet red hair tumbling not so gracefully around his shoulders and down his back.

"What the – Fred, George?" Ron sounded bewildered, though Fred couldn't really blame him. He took a moment to consider the possibility that this was really a bit cruel, but shook off his momentary insanity with ease. He couldn't help but snicker as he took in the appearance of his 'brother', trying to put on a comforting smile as he began to explain.

"We're really sorry brother, for not preparing you for your impending fame -"

"-but you see, we really had no choice," George continued, nodding solemnly despite his laughter as he and his twin hauled Ron back to his feet.

Ron looked down to see what had caused the clumsy stumble, feeling uncomfortable with something strapped to his feet – and he knew he was tall, but the ground now seemed miles away...and what were the pink things strapped to his feet anyway? And was that – a skirt?

Ron screamed, suddenly thankful for the tight grip of his apparent kidnappers as his legs gave out beneath him. High heels. Pink high heels. He was wearing pink kitten heels (he blamed Ginny for the knowledge of their appropriate name), and a violet skirt with a crumpled texture.

But, really, he shouldn't have to lean forward so far to be able to see them; after all, whilst he knew he was 'buff', Ron really didn't think he had had this much muscle earlier either. Although, those two lumps didn't really look like...

And Ron didn't think anymore of it, after that. He didn't think at all, actually, and unconscious was probably a preferable state of being anyway.

Because, really, it was quite a shock to realise that he suddenly had two plump, perfectly shaped breasts on top of everything else.

Had he been awake, Ron would probably have decided that it was long past the time for panicking.

DmHp

A/N; I can't believe I still haven't _actually_ written it! I'm sorry! I can't believe how much I'm currently writing! Gaah! I have, however, begun writing the next chapter already, so you shouldn't have to wait long to read the end of it; which you can probably guess by now anyway. I just didn't want to make this chapter too much longer, because I think my ideas might run out soon after this subplot. Hmm...

Anyway, please don't kill me! If you do, I won't be able to finish the next chap! Lol.

I hope you enjoyed it anyway; hope it wasn't too rambly or anything. Or too long winded. Or just boring, heh. Let me know.

Thanks, as always.


	26. Huge fucking extensions!

A/N; four months?? Eep. At least it wasn't a year (insert puppy eyes here). Really sorry; I've been ill and have had exams these last few weeks. However, this chapter is finally finished! XD. Hope you like it.

As usual, big thanks to all my reviewers - and heck, even to all of you who just bother to read this thing. I really appreciate the feedback, so thank you!

Disclaimer; to be perfectly honest, I just sort of borrowed these characters. See, they looked all sad and lonely, so I just couldn't help but pluck them out of JK's toy box and put them into mine instead. I'll give them back…eventually. Also, the songs used in this aren't mine; credits at the end.

Warnings; does anybody actually read these things? Pfft, I know I sure as hell don't. Let's see how many people do…swearing, pink shoes, yaoi, lil' bit o' yuri, purple skirts….um…hotness? (insert snickering).

DmHp

"Wizards and Witches, here is the woman you all came to see."

Blaise stopped talking mid-sentence as Fred's voice was heard over the excited babble of the students, furrowing his brows as people once again turned towards the still empty stage.

"The Weasley twins are proud to present, performing for this one night only in honour of her best friend and his new partner,"

A low drum roll stared up around them, the lights dimming, a single blue light illuminating a shadowy figure descending upon the centre of the stage, obviously being levitated into position, but slowly spinning gracefully, arms out for balance as she neared the wooden platform.

"Miss Ronnie Weasley!"

The heels of young woman's shoes clicked onto the glossed wood just in time to hit the first beet of the jazzy piano tune that now filled the air. Her arms flopping uselessly to her sides, she stumbled forwards, a few nervous chuckles torn from the throats of the audience as she gained her balance.

A low wolf whistle came from towards the back of the hall, causing the girl to tug hopelessly on the ends of the too-short skirt that barely covered pale, freshly-waxed legs.

"I can make you feel, special," the last syllable of the line was held onto by the singer, though the girl looked as confused as the audience as she sang, her voice obviously under a charm to sound much louder than it could possibly be otherwise. She stared at her feet for a few moments as she tried desperately to not stumble again, before using a shaking hand to part the curtain of fiery red hair that framed her face. Her eyes wide in fear, she drank in the sight of the students, her lips already moving to form the words of the next line.

"When it sucks to be you," the woman stepped forward, blowing a saucy kiss towards a random male in the audience - though a terrified look crossed her face once she had done so. Her legs carried her forward with a confident swing as she continued to sing, but it was beginning to look increasingly like she really didn't want to be there. The stage was lit up as she walked, highlighting her fear.

"Let me make you feel special, for an hour or two," the teenager was about half way down the catwalk by the end of this line, though she had almost fallen once, twirling around with a sexy swing in her hips as she held on to the last note.

"Your life's a routine that repeats each day," she walked to the left side of the side as she sang this, leaning far enough forward to show off her well-formed cleavage despite the horrified expression upon her face.

"No one cares who you are, or what you say," she straightened up, walking back into the centre of the catwalk, a wink directed towards the audience in general as she tilted her head back, running one hand through long locks of glossy hair.

"And sometimes you feel like you're nobody, but you can feel like somebody - with me."

Shaking her hair our behind her, her hands raised to caress her sides, clutching at the too-tight top and dragging it up with her top reveal a taught chest dusted heavily with dark red hair. There were cheers and laughter from the audience, more wolf-whistles ringing throughout the hall - though by now they were more in jest than anything else.

"Oh, my god," Harry cringed, burring his face into his mate's shoulder and grasping tightly at his shirt. Draco's eyes were wide open, unable to look away from the disturbing sight on stage, his chest vibrating with repressed laughter.

"Please - tell me it isn't true…"

Hermione bit her lip to try and with-hold her smile out of semi-respect for her ex-boyfriend, but broke into laughter after sharing a look with Pansy. The two girls applauded loudly with some of the other's in the hall, adding their own cat-calls into the fray.

"Brilliant," Blaise cried, cheering in-between laughter "bloody brilliant."

"B-b-but…he's got - he's got -…"

"Tits!" Crabbe gleefully added the word Harry couldn't bring himself to voice, delighting in the pinkish flush that invaded Harry's cheeks.

Harry groaned, not daring to raise his head as he heard Ronnie's heels clicking upon the stage as she walked forward.

"Yeah," he heard her say, envisioning her leaning over the teacher's with a defiant smirk on her face as her hands pulled down her top enticingly "they're real."

The students broke out into laughter, and Harry shook his head as he finally peeped over Draco's shoulder to look at the 'woman' on stage. The music was still playing, the piano and various brass instruments providing the perfect beat for her to swing her hips to, the purple fabric skirt flying up around her - much to the disgust of several audience members.

"When we're together the earth will shake, and the stars fall into the sea, so come on baby, let down your guard - when your date's in the bathroom, I'll slip you my card," a wink was thrown out into the audience as Ronnie sauntered down the stage, still looking bewildered and humiliated, but not seeming able to stop.

"I can tell just by looking, that you've got it hard - for me," her head was thrown back again as she held onto the notes, causing most people to wince at the terrible pitch. The cheers and hollers got louder as she repeated the last two words over and over, throwing her head from side to side in a supposedly sexy way as she raised her arms high above her head.

"I can tell just by looking that you are especially hard, for me." She raised her head and spread her arms wide open as she reached her crescendo, red faced and panting heavily as the song came to an end. Students were falling about laughing, some managing to slap their hands together and upon the hard wood of the tables by way of applause.

"It is," Harry groaned, mortified by the way 'Ronnie' was now curtseying for the crowd "It's Ron!"

Draco finally let out his laughter, curling an arm around Harry in consolation.

"N-no," he chocked out "it's not. It's a Weasel in a fucking skirt!"

Harry let out a whimper, torn between laughing and crying. A smile broke out over his face after a few moments, however, and he allowed himself a small giggle.

"Oh yeah," he said "I hadn't noticed."

Truth be told, Harry actually hadn't yet noticed the clothes Ron adorned, having previously been far too concerned about whether or not that was actually a girl on stage. Looking over him now, Harry grimaced at the mismatch of colours; pink high heels, a purple skirt and a light green, low cut top that was stretched tightly over broad shoulders and muscular arms. His hair had been lengthened, now flowing down his back much like his sister's, and a silver bracelet encircled his wrist, though Harry couldn't quite make out the design, no matter how much he squinted. Letting his eyes travel downwards, he decided it probably wasn't a very good idea to look too closely anyway.

"Entertainment?" Pansy cried, using her giggles as an excuse to lean on Hermione for support "I knew they were trying to kill us! This is just too good!"

"I don't suppose anyone has a camera?" Goyle asked, looking rather disappointed when they shook their heads - though the grin was soon back as an upbeat techno sort of music filled the hall.

'Ronnie's' eyes went wide again, an audible whimper escaping his lips as his feet began dancing of their own accord.

"One, Two, Ready, Go!"

More laughter broke out as he began to walk again, adding the odd twirl here and there as he sang. The applaud and laughter continued to fill the hall, all attention focused upon the reluctant drag-queen on stage.

"I'm tired of boys who make me cry

They cheat on me and they tell me lies

I want a love who'll never stray

When he sees other girls, he looks away

And if he never kisses me, well that's alright

'Cos we can just cuddle all night

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I don't really care that you are queer

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I never feel lonely when you are near

It'll be a great romance

We'll go shopping and buy tight pants

You don't care how big my ass is, just how fabulous my dress is."

His voice high pitched and his face twisted into a grimace, 'Ronnie' repeated the chorus, some of the students joining in repetitive tune.

"One, two, ready go -

You cry at movies, on our dates

Romantic comedies sure are great

But when you're sad I'll dry your tears

'Cos I'll always think that you are fierce

I like cigarettes, and that's no gag

But you'll always be my favourite fag

You'll always be my favourite fag

You'll always be my favourite fag…

My gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I don't really care that you are queer

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I never feel lonely when you are near

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I don't really care that you are queer

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I never feel lonely when you are near

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I don't really care that you are queer

Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend

I never feel lonely when you are near…"

The applaud was deafening this time around, the tension in the air broken by such a stupid - and ever so slightly irritating - song. Harry had taken Draco's hand tightly within his own, now cheering along with the others, and laughed when Hermione transfigured her fork into a dozen multicoloured roses to throw onto the stage. Some of the other students copied the idea, and soon Ronnie was almost drowned in flowers and other interesting items - mainly of the cotton and silk variety, which Harry didn't wish to know the previous owners of.

"I wonder how the hell they got him to do this," Pansy mused, still clapping "It's not like he would have done it willingly, after all."

"You don't think - you don't they would have done anything…illegal, do you?" Hermione asked, faltering in her applause as she bit her lip worriedly.

"I don't think so," Harry said reassuringly, giving her a confident smile "they're not that stupid."

Draco sent him a look that was clearly disbelieving, but simply smiled at Hermione when she glanced over at him for his opinion.

"What _I _want to know," Blaise said, grinning manically "is how they created those huge fucking -"

"Blaise!" Pansy snapped, scowling at him "shut up."

"What?" He cried indignantly, trying to look innocent "I was only going to say 'extensions'. Ya' know - his _hair._"

The others around the table laughed at him and the Slytherin female, the latter sending a smouldering glare to her friend.

Harry whipped his head back around to face the stage as another tune started up, raising his eyebrows at yet another familiar muggle tune.

"My baby, he don't talk sweet, He ain't got much to say - But he loves me, loves me loves me, I know that he loves me anyway…"

"Oh god," Harry sighed, shaking his head despite the smile that had settled on his face "this is going to be a _long _night."

DmHp

"Fantastic," George explained, slapping the palm of his right hand against one of a great likeness and holding tightly onto the appendage "it worked perfectly!"

"Of course it did," Fred "it was a _Weasley _plan after all."

George's grin faded a little, cocking his head to one side as he stared at their clasped hands. Fred sighed, tightening his grasp with a reassuring smile.

"I know," he murmured gently "It's hard to accept that he's not quite our brother anymore. But perhaps he'll come back to us yet, no?"

George gave weary chuckle, shaking his head. "No, he won't. Not after this."

Fred mimicked his sad smile, squeezing his twins hand once more. "S'ppose not," he agreed. "Ya' know…mum's going to kill us."

George laughed quietly, nodding in recognition of the truthful statement. The lights around them brightened as the whole of the stage lit up, their brother's final act drawing to a close.

"Come, brother," Fred demanded playfully, finally letting go of George's hand and picking up his twin's hat, placing it at a jaunty angle upon his head before picking up his own.

"Our audience awaits."

DmHp

A/N; Okay, okay, I have to apologies; this chapter really isn't as long as I had planned it to be. I just wanted to get it up, to be honest, because it's been quite a while now, and I thought you might appreciate the update. I'll get working on the next chapter right away, and try to get it posted as soon as possible.

Hope you liked it - really, I do. I'm not too sure about this chapter, so your thoughts would be appreciated, as always.

The songs used (eep, I forgot to put this when I first uploaded the chapter! Ah well, I've added it now) are; 'Special' from the musical Avenue Q, 'Gay Boyfriend' by The Hazards, I think, and 'Let's hear it for the boy' by Denise Williams (from the musical Footloose).


	27. The Devil lives within the gargoyle

A/N; Okay, okay, so my update has been a fairly long time coming (again). All I can do is offer my utmost apologies and…um, dya' want a cookie? Lol, well, here it is anyway. Honestly I only wrote this chapter to avoid more pressing work, so I'm a little miffed now it's finished (I don't have any more excuses for putting it off), but it's probably a good thing it's done so I can finally get it posted!

Many thanks to my reviewers, as usual. I tried to reply to each one, as I received them, but then I went on holiday and lost track – my apologies, therefore, to anyone who didn't receive a personal thank you (I really love reading reviews, so I figure it's only fair that I show my appreciation).

Disclaimer; _Sigh _Unfortunately, I am not able to claim that I own these characters, or the books from which they have been stolen _cough_ eh, I mean borrowed. It's probably a good thing, really; who knows what I would make them do if they were mine?

Warnings; as it turns out, a couple of people _do _actually read these things, and I seem to have a faint recollection of promising to try and think of more witty comments to include within them. I'm sorry to disappoint anyone that I _did _promise this to, but my brain is all gooey and sticky at the moment. I can't even remember what I'm supposed to say here.

"Speech"

'_Thoughts_'

* * *

DmHp

The lights danced across the stage in time to the music, performers in an act applauded by thousands of merry and dazzled students. The female, tall and burly, stood bewildered in the centre of the stage, a bright white spotlight illuminating her freckled features. Twins, dressed in identical suits, bowed and waved on either side of her, mocking modesty as they blushed and bundled the thrown flowers into their arms. Seemingly unsure of herself, the woman stepped forward amidst whoops and hollers, smiling tentatively as she curtsied neatly. A look of horror flooded her face as she straightened, jeers and catcalls sweeping her off the stage and out of the light.

The twins watched her go with one last remorseful look, before turning back to their gracious audience and accepting their applause with no heavy heart.

DmHp

"But Poppy!"

"No! No, absolutely not. Oh no, young man, it's no good giving me that look; I know exactly what you're like. We agreed all this before; I would let you attend the meal so long as you returned here straight away – now that you have done so, I have no intention of letting you go gallivanting off again! You can pout at me all you want, but it is _not _going to change the fact that you are spending the weekend in my care!"

Harry groaned loudly, slumping upon his mate's bed when the nurse only crossed her arms with a wry grin pulling at her lips.

"Oh come now, Mr. Potter, I shall begin to think you do not enjoy my company if you continue to insist on acting so childishly."

"It's not that I don't _like _you," Harry huffed, tugging off his boots and throwing them across the make-shift ward with a mischievous grin "but I really do think it's unfair that it's always _me _visiting _you_. There are two people in this relationship you know!"

The witch chortled gamely, watching as the blonde veela rolled his eyes at his mate's childish nature and went to fetch the mistreated boots, brushing them off before standing them neatly under his bed.

"Despite evidence to the contrary, you are not my _only_ patient, Mr. Potter, and I must divide my time equally between students. I do not have time to hunt you down every time you get into the slightest bit of trouble."

Draco gave a short laugh, sending the nurse a smirk with his reply "you would be constantly following him, I fear. He never _stops_ getting into trouble, after all. He can't even get out of bed in the morning without having a panic attack first."

Harry stuck his tongue out at him, giving him a light punch as he passed. "That was only once," he defended himself "and I wouldn't have had to worry if you had been where you are supposed to be!"

The blonde Slytherin raised his eyebrows.

"Oh?" He asked "and where is that, pray tell?"

Harry, feeling mushy, grabbed his hand and pulled him close, wrapping his legs around the blonde's waist and letting his arms encase his shoulders.

"Right here," he murmured "next to me."

"Or in front of him, as the case may be," Poppy corrected him with a light chuckle, already turning to leave.

"Or behind me," Harry added with a saucy wink "whichever you prefer."

The nurse coughed loudly, dimming the lights with a swish of her wand.

"Good _night, _gentlemen."

"Good night!" The boys echoed, breaking apart with only a slight blush marring their cheeks as the curtains sealed themselves behind the nurse.

"So," Draco began, drawing the word out as he removed his cloak "what did you think?"

Harry grinned cheekily, pulling his legs up onto the bed and folding them beneath him, resting his head in the palm of his hand as he settled in to watch the impromptu show.

"Beautiful," he replied, eyes following the blonde's fingers as they worked their way down his shirt, pulling the fabric aside to reveal an expanse of pale skin stretched across taught muscles, a fine layer of hair dusting his chest and trailing a path under his jeans from his navel.

The Slytherin furrowed his brows at the response, looking up at the Gryffindor to find him staring, enraptured. The blonde laughed a little, flattered, then balled up his shirt and threw it the unresponsive male.

"Oi! Quit gawping like some uncouth plebeian and answer the bloody question."

"Hey!" Harry cried, tossing a pillow at the Veela in retaliation. Draco sidestepped the attack easily, laughing as Harry crinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue. Tempted to forgo redressing in favour of more engaging activities involving few clothes and more of that sinuous tongue, the blonde quickly spun around and pulled a white tank top over his fuzzy head.

"It was brilliant, obviously," Harry said, finally answering the original question "I never thought I'd ever get to see Ron in a skirt."

Draco shivered briefly, smiling none-the-less "not an experience I'd particularly like to repeat, entertaining as it was."

Harry thought for a moment or two before mirroring his mate's shudder, nodding briefly.

"Agreed. It's a horrifying thought, really. Still, I'd like to know how they managed to get him to perform like that."

"It's a mystery we may never solve," Draco replied sadly, rather intrigued himself "unless you think the twins will give us a straight answer?"

Harry laughed, shaking his head. "No way," he replied "not unless they plan on releasing it to the public."

"Hmm," Draco sighed wistfully, beginning to unbuckle his belt "shame. It would be great for revenge."

Harry got up off the bed, turning his back on his mate as he removed his own shirt "I hope you weren't planning on using it to try and get buff guys to give a private show," he warned jokingly, letting his clothes fall in a heap on the floor. Draco's arms snaked around his waist from behind, and he giggled lightly at the friction cause by the rough cotton of the blonde's top brushing against his bare skin.

"Only one 'buff' guy in particular," the Veela murmured playfully, nipping on Harry's ear and planting kisses down his neck.

The Gryffindor moaned softly, leaning back in the other's arms.

"I'd say 'you only have to ask', but I'm not sure if even you begging on your hands and knees would be enough to convince me to wear a bloody skirt."

Draco chuckled into his ear, fingers running teasingly along the top of Harry's jeans.

"Oh? But it would be enough to get you to _perform_ for me?"

The darker haired male groaned in the back of his throat as Draco continued to lay kisses against his skin, tilting his head back on the blonde's shoulder to grant him easier access.

"Keep doing that and I'd probably be willing to do just about _anything _for you."

Smirking smugly, the blonde moved away, taking his kisses and warm embrace with him. Harry moaned in protest, turning around and reaching out to try and draw him back.

"Really?" Draco asked, dodging the Gryffindor's questing hands "that's nice to know, for future reference."

The Slytherin laughed at the putout look upon his mate's face, before leaning forward to give him a soft kiss on the cheek, pressing his nightshirt into his hands at the same time.

"Hurry up and get changed," he uttered softly, drawing back before his lips could latch onto his mate's skin once more "then come to bed. You know I can't sleep without you beside me."

DmHp

"Look, I don't care what the bloody password is you moronic stone, just move!" Ron yelled, half tempted to try punching the stubborn gargoyle that was blocking his passage up to the headmaster's office. The gargoyle in question remained motionless, an evil gleam in its eye as it watched the redhead becoming more and more agitated.

"For fuck sake, get outta' the way!" Ron lashed out with his leg, foot slamming into the concrete stature with crippling force. Howling in pain, Ron proceeded to let forth a string of imaginative profanities, some of which even the decades old gargoyle had never been privy to hearing. The Gryffindor hopped around on one leg for a few moments, still cursing loudly, before swearing angrily at the still stationary figure that was watching him with an almost smug smirk.

"Why you little –…"

"Mr Weasley!"

Ron cursed again, swinging around to face his transfigurations professor with a startled expression on his already red face.

"What on earth is going on here?"

The redhead growled angrily, stomping his foot down like an impatient little child.

"I need to see the headmaster."

"Well, why didn't you just say so?" McGonagall asked, raising her eyebrows at him as she moved past and softly uttered the password. The gargoyle grudgingly moved away to let her up the staircase, briefly considering blocking the Gryffindor's way before deciding that the mixed look of fury and disbelief on his face as he passed was probably enough, for now.

"Headmaster," Professor McGonagall began, upon being granted entrance to his office "there's someone here to see you."

"Ah, Mr Weasley! I must say, that was a fine performance you put on for us the other night. Brilliant, highly entertaining. In fact, I feel that maybe it's necessary to award points for what must surely have been a very daunting task."

"Well, actually –"

"Oh, come, come my boy, no need for modesty. We were all very grateful for your valiant efforts at raising moral within the school – and such an excellent job you did as well! I think I can speak for the entire school when I say that it was a thoroughly enjoyable performance, and one that was very much appreciated. Just what the school needed, in these dark times. Don't you agree, Minerva?"

McGonagall smothered her amusement with a muted smile, nodding as she spoke.

"Oh yes, highly entertaining. Really, Mr Weasley, your efforts should not go unrewarded; after all, not many of the students within the school would have been willing to go to such lengths for such an unselfish, noble cause."

Ron's mouth hung open as his eyes trailed disbelievingly between the two professors, his protests stuck in his throat as Dumbledore began speaking again.

"So then, let's see. 80 points to Gryffindor, for such a splendid evening. Points well deserved, I feel. Do you think that's enough?"

Ron managed only a gargled sort of noise as he nodded, now unable to claim that he hadn't _actually_ performed willingly. His hopes of seeing his brothers punished were now scattered in shards all over the floor, but he thought he might at least be greeted like a hero upon breaking the news to his housemates. And, indeed, it was a much more noble spin on what would be an otherwise highly embarrassing event – sacrificing his modesty to try and lighten up the atmosphere in the school, and spread happiness in such dark times.

"Well then, now that that's sorted, was there something you needed?"

Ron shook his head, vaguely wondering if he was dreaming as McGonagall subsequently ushered him from the office. Slowly making his way down the revolving staircase, the redhead pondered the Headmaster's sanity, and then began to question his own as he ran over the last few minutes of his life.

"Ow! Shit!" The Gryffindor student yelped in shock, just narrowly avoiding being squashed as the gargoyle slid swiftly back into place. The back of his robes tore violently as they snagged on the edge of the stone, and Ron only just refrained from kicking the statue as he examined his now ruined robes.

"Do you mind? You coulda' bloody killed me! Fucking maniac…"

The gargoyle sniggered silently to itself as he watched the teenager walk away, still muttering angrily under his breath. Oh, he wouldn't _really _have squashed the poor boy. Such a foul thing to do; who would scrub off all that blood? Disgusting.

DmHp

"Moony!" Harry cried happily, leaping up from the bed and flinging himself into his honorary godfather's arms "it's good to see you again!"

Remus gave Draco an impressed look over Harry's shoulder as the blonde barely blinked at the contact, smiling happily at his cub as they pulled apart.

"It's good to see you too, cub – and looking so much more lively, too. Hello to you too, Draco."

The blonde finally tore his gaze away from the book he had yet to look up from, obviously preferring to concentrate on the text rather than the fact that his mate had been embracing someone who was very definitely _not him_.

"Good morning, Mr. Lupin."

"Oh really," Remus chastised, conjuring himself a chair next to the bed they had spent the last week or so sharing "I really would prefer it if you merely called me Remus, or Lupin, if you must. 'Mr. Lupin' makes me feel so old."

Harry returned to his mate's side as the last Marauder made himself comfortable, happily moving the homework he had been tasked with to the end of the bed, more than pleased to be able to forget about it for an hour or two.

"Although," Remus continued, leaning back in his chair "I do suppose I am rather old now, in the grand scheme of things."

Harry laughed at him, rolling his eyes. "Oh, come now Remus, you're not that old. Just imagine what Sirius would have said had you called _him _old!"

The werewolf smiled wryly, able to conjure up such an image in his head.

"He would have taken great pleasure in reminding me that _I _am older than him, by a good few months."

Harry laughed again, and even Draco couldn't help but smile at how the Gryffindor was now able to talk and joke about his deceased Godfather with such ease.

"And then he would have berated you for thinking like a stuffy grownup."

Remus smiled at him, nodded in agreement. "I suppose he would have tried to remind me that I too was a Marauder – as though I would be willing to forget, even if I could let go of such precious memories."

Both their smiles were now tinted with sadness, and it made Harry wonder about his old professor. The man couldn't have many friends left, really, other than those within the order – and it seemed as though he distanced himself even from them. The elder man had always been rather withdrawn, he thought, and always looked as though he had aged well before his time (this was one thing Harry thought they had in common, even if their hardships had differed greatly). They had never been particularly close, he and Lupin, and yet here the man was, sat diligently by his bedside even though his health had greatly improved. He had been there when this whole Veela inheritance hard been dumped upon him, and had been one of the most constant and dependable people in his life since Sirius died. And, suddenly realising how lonely the werewolf must be, Harry was suddenly much more inclined to make the most of their short time together.

"So, were you able to come to the feast last night?"

"Unfortunately, no, although I did receive an invitation. Arthur received one too, though I believe he declined on account of the fact that he had no clue as to what excuse to give his wife. I hear it was most enjoyable?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically, all too happy to recount the evening's events to an attentive ear. There was suddenly the knowledge that he, like Sirius had, may now feel alone and closed off from the people that cared the most about him, and this made Harry determined to make Remus feel more involved in his life – and, hopefully, be more involved in his in return.

DmHp

* * *

A/N; here endeth the story; well, this chapter anyway. Thanks for reading! However…BONUS FEATURE! Lol

Eh, this is a bit, erm, odd, but the following page or so is actually the original confrontation scene I had written for when Ron goes to see the headmaster. When it actually came to writing it in, however, the story sort of veered in another direction, so it never got included. It does, however, sort of explain what the twins did, and why they weren't punished, so I thought I'd post it anyway as a sort of bonus scene. Think of it as a small gesture of goodwill, or a lousy way of making up for taking such a long time to update.

And so, the _**alternate**__** confrontation scene**_;

"But – but, you can't let them get away with this!"

"Mr Weasley, whilst we do appreciate your anxiety over the matter, I must remind you that your brothers are no longer students at this school. They came to me personally requesting that they be allowed to provide a night of entertainment to lighten up the atmosphere of the student body, and I saw no reason to refuse them such a simple request. Indeed, all of the staff were present on the night in question, and as far as we are aware, no school rules were broken before, during or even after the performance. Now then, unless you are accusing your brothers of doing something illegal – a claim which I implore you not to make unless you feel you have adequate proof and reason – I really see no reason for this matter to be investigated further."

"But, Headmaster! Do you really think I would voluntarily dress up in a _bloody skirt _("Language, Mr Weasley!" McGonagall shrieked from behind him) and _sing _in front of the entire _bloody school_?"

Dumbledore's eye twinkled merrily from behind his glasses.

"Well, one can never be sure, Mr Weasley. I do try to avoid making assumptions about my students, and indeed everyone I come in to contact with. You know, I once knew a man of outstanding moral stature – brilliant man, never so much as uttered a cuss word – and yet there was this one time I honestly believe I caught him –…"

Professor McGonagall gave a harsh cough to interrupt the Headmaster's tale, indicating towards the disbelieving student that was currently sat in front of him.

"Ah, yes, well, perhaps now isn't the time for indulging in such nostalgic stories. Was there something else you wanted, my dear boy?"

Ron gaped at the seemingly insane man in front of him, before sighing hopelessly and shaking his head in defeat.

"No, sir, nothing."

"Well then, perhaps you had better run along before your friends start to miss you."

"Yes, Headmaster."

The redhead left, his fury evident on his face despite his dejected posture. In his anger, he couldn't refrain from slamming the door shut behind him, eliciting disapproving mutterings from the many portraits that shook from the force of the violent gesture.

McGonagall looked after him with a pensive expression on her face, lips pursed as she voiced her concerns.

"Was that wise, headmaster?"

Dumbledore gave he woman a wry smile, leaning back in his chair.

"I told not one lie. You know as well as I do that the twins broke no rules – I believe they were merely demonstrating their latest invention, and what an ingenious thing it is too! A sweet of some sort, or so I hear, though apparently it was a modified version of the product they plan to distribute to the public."

The Transfigurations professor couldn't help but smile, having found the twin's plan highly entertaining herself.

"I know," she sighed "but I can't help but feel there is a rift there that now won't ever be healed."

"That, my dear woman, is not for us to try and fix. It is a sad state of affairs indeed when families seem to fall apart from within, but do not despair. We may be surprised yet."

McGonagall made a soft sound of agreement, shaking her head lightly as she turned to face the man who was officially her boss (a scary thought at times, and one which she tried not to linger on for too long).

"If you don't need me for anything, Albus, I'll be in my office preparing for my next lessons." The witch turned to go, her path halted by Dumbledore's voice.

"There is just one thing, Minerva, before you go."

The woman in question half turned to look at him, though the wizard new he had her full attention. Eyes twinkling mischievously, he held out a crystal bowl containing an assortment of brightly coloured sweets.

"Would you like a lemon drop?"

A/N; and so here ends the alternate scene. Which do you prefer? Well, hope you enjoyed this chap (and the bonus scene!). Also, as a little side note, I'm thinking that I shall probably end this story fairly soon – it's not really going anywhere, now, and I think other than a few loose ends to tie up it's basically finished. Don't hold me to this, of course, because I may suddenly start writing lots of plot ideas in the next few chapters, but I think that 30chapters is more than enough for this fic (when I reach that number). Any thoughts on that (me tying this all up, I mean)? You're opinions would be welcomed with open arms.

Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated.


	28. AN Hiatus

**Hiatus**

Okay, so firstly let me start by apologising for once again posting an A/N as a chapter; I know this technically isn't allowed, but unfortunately I was unsure how else to get the message out to everyone.

Recently I have received several messages asking when I'm going to update this fic again, and I have replied to each as honestly as I could at the time; I'm sorry for taking so long, but I've been working on an update and hopefully I'll get around to posting it soon. However, this is no longer the correct response; if any of you are wondering, this fic will probably **never again be updated**.

I am sorry for this, but there are reasons. I was unsure as to how much detail I should give, but after all the support I was given last time I thought I owed it to you all to be honest. Unfortunately, my mother is terminally ill, and has been for some time; this is why my updates have been so sporadic over the last few years. Recently, however, her health has begun to rapidly deteriorate, and whilst she does still have a few years left with us, I hope you can all understand that I wish to make the most of every minute of our time together. My siblings and I have become full time carers, and because we still have to deal with school (it's exam season soon) and our social lives etc etc I just don't have enough time on my hands to keep writing this story; and, to be completely honest with you, right now I lack the motivation too.

I have been half-heartedly working on some mini-projects which might get posted at some point, but I just don't have as much time to write any more. I might pick up this story in a few months when things settle down a bit, but I cannot say for sure that I will – I really am sorry.

I wish to thank you all for your continued support and patience – and, of course, all the lovely comments you've left for me over the years. I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate it, so here *hands out cookies*. My many, many, many thanks!

Just so you all know, I won't be deleting this story. I am still rather proud of it, and some small part of me is hoping I will one day return to finish it. Until that day, however, I must bid you all farewell.

Gothical-Fairy

xx


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